Pathophysiology

Animal models

Aripiprazole selectively reduces motor tics in a young animal model for tourette's syndrome and comorbid attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Rizzo FNespoli EAbaei ABar-Gad I ... Fegert JRasche VHengerer B,Boeckers TM.   Front Neurol 2018; 9:59  PMID: 29487562 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00059

Pathological studies

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Electrophysiology

Neuroimaging studies

WM microstructure
\cite{Sigurdsson2018}
7T spectroscopy \cite{Mahone2018}

Pharmacological studies

"Dopaminergic Disturbances in Tourette Syndrome: An Integrative Account" \citep*{Maia_2018} 
D1 receptor antagonist ecopipam in children and adolescents (Gilbert D et al: Selective D1 receptor antagonism: clinical trial of a novel treatment for Tourette Syndrome. Mov Disord 2018 [in press]).

Clinical and neuropsychological studies

A research consortium in Germany has recently proposed that tics may correspond to altered perception-action binding \cite{Beste2018}. Here comes a first experimental demonstration in 35 adolescents with TS and 39 healthy controls using a Go/nogo task and subsequent EEG analysis, providing support for the idea that stimulus-action binding in stronger in patients with TS, and that "unbinding" may thus represent a useful therapeutic venue \cite{Petruo2018}.

Other

Inhibition in children with OCD and TS
\cite{Mancini2018}
Executive control in TS and tic reduction \cite{Yaniv2018}
TS as a disorder of the social decision-making network \cite{Albin_2017}

Treatment

 

Psychological interventions

Group-based psychotherapeutic interventions for tics bear the promise of reduced costs and easier access to appropriate care. One recent paper has investigated the long term effects of this approach on tic severity, quality of life and school attendance in 28 children with TS 12 months after completing HRT training or education (a follow up to the 2016 study, \cite{Yates2016}), both showing positive effects in the long run but apparently without significant differences between both groups \cite{Dabrowski2018}
A scandinavian study investigated a combined ERP / HRT protocol comparing group with individual sessions (n=27 per group, n=54 total). The efficacy on decreasing tic severity was similar in both treatment arms \cite{Nissen2018}

Medication

A first direct comparison of pharmacotherapy with behavioral therapy in children and adolescents with TS / CTD  \cite{Rizzo2018}. Both approaches were effective in reducing tics and improve quality of life; however, only pharmacotherapy was effective in reducing OC symptoms. 

Neurosurgery

Efficacy and Safety of Deep Brain Stimulation in Tourette Syndrome: The International Tourette Syndrome Deep Brain Stimulation Public Database and Registry \citep{Martinez_Ramirez_2018}. This report summarizes information on 185 Tourette patients from 10 countries. Mean improvement in total YGTSS score was 40% at 6 months after vs. before surgery, and 45% at 12 months. The difference between stimulation sites (CM-Pf, anterior GPi, posterior GPi) was not statistically significant. About a third of patients had side effects, mostly related to stimulation not surgery.