Researchers uncover mechanism controlling Tourette Syndrome tics

A mechanism in the brain which controls tics in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS) has been discovered by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The study, which has been published in the British Psychological Society's Journal of Neuropsychology , could herald new non-drug therapies to help young people with TS overcome the repetitive physical movements and vocal sounds which characterise their condition. Professor Stephen Jackson , in the University's School of Psychology , said: "This new study is very important as it indicates that motor and vocal tics in children may be controlled by brain changes that alter the excitability of brain cells ahead of voluntary movements. You can think of this as a bit like turning the volume down on an over-loud motor system. This is important as it suggests a mechanism that might lead to an effective non-pharmacological therapy for Tourette Syndrome." - Brain re-structuring. The neurological condition TS affects around one child in every 100 and usually starts during early childhood. Scientists believe that the tics that affect children with TS are caused by faulty wiring in the brain that leads to hyper excitability in the brain regions controlling motor function.