Brief Communication abstract
Nature Neuroscience 11, 637 - 639 (2008)
Published online: 18 May 2008 | doi:10.1038/nn.2121
Thinning of sensorimotor cortices in children with Tourette syndrome
Elizabeth R Sowell1, Eric Kan1, June Yoshii1, Paul M Thompson1, Ravi Bansal2, Dongrong Xu2, Arthur W Toga1 & Bradley S Peterson2
The basal ganglia portions of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuits have consistently been implicated in the pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome, whereas motor and sensorimotor cortices in these circuits have been relatively overlooked. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we detected cortical thinning in frontal and parietal lobes in groups of Tourette syndrome children relative to controls. This thinning was most prominent in ventral portions of the sensory and motor homunculi that control the facial, orolingual and laryngeal musculature that is commonly involved in tic symptoms. Correlations of cortical thickness in sensorimotor regions with tic symptoms suggest that these brain regions are important in the pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome.
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Suite 225, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 74, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Correspondence to: Bradley S Peterson2 e-mail: petersob@child.cpmc.columbia.edu
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