David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Tourette's syndrome: 400 genetic mutations found
By Ana Sandoiu, MedicalNewsToday.com
October 5, 2018
New research has brought us much closer to understanding the genetic roots and neurodevelopmental causes of Tourette's syndrome.
A new study examines the DNA mutations that may interfere with brain development in Tourette's syndrome.
In the United States, about 200,000 individuals now live with Tourette's syndrome in its most severe form.
The neuropsychiatric condition is characterized by involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds called tics.
We do not yet know the precise cause of Tourette's syndrome. However, researchers have linked it with abnormal development of certain brain areas, including the basal ganglia, the frontal lobes, and the cortex.
Also, brain networks that connect these regions — along with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin — have also been linked to the condition.
Now, researchers bring new insights into what might disrupt the brain development in Tourette's syndrome, and they have published their findings in the journal Cell Reports.
Sheng Wang, who is affiliated with the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California in San Francisco, is the recent paper's first author.
Studying the genes involved in Tourette's
Wang and his colleagues worked on the largest genetic study of Tourette's syndrome: the Tourette International Collaborative Genetics (TIC Genetics) study.
"Through the initial families who participated, we were able to collect samples and data to start the study and establish the first sharing repository for researchers from all over the world interested in studying Tourette syndrome," reports study co-author Gary Heiman, an associate professor in the Department of Genetics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick in New Jersey.
By Ana Sandoiu, MedicalNewsToday.com
October 5, 2018
New research has brought us much closer to understanding the genetic roots and neurodevelopmental causes of Tourette's syndrome.
A new study examines the DNA mutations that may interfere with brain development in Tourette's syndrome.
In the United States, about 200,000 individuals now live with Tourette's syndrome in its most severe form.
The neuropsychiatric condition is characterized by involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds called tics.
We do not yet know the precise cause of Tourette's syndrome. However, researchers have linked it with abnormal development of certain brain areas, including the basal ganglia, the frontal lobes, and the cortex.
Also, brain networks that connect these regions — along with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin — have also been linked to the condition.
Now, researchers bring new insights into what might disrupt the brain development in Tourette's syndrome, and they have published their findings in the journal Cell Reports.
Sheng Wang, who is affiliated with the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California in San Francisco, is the recent paper's first author.
Studying the genes involved in Tourette's
Wang and his colleagues worked on the largest genetic study of Tourette's syndrome: the Tourette International Collaborative Genetics (TIC Genetics) study.
"Through the initial families who participated, we were able to collect samples and data to start the study and establish the first sharing repository for researchers from all over the world interested in studying Tourette syndrome," reports study co-author Gary Heiman, an associate professor in the Department of Genetics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick in New Jersey.
