Neuroimaging of Tourette’s Syndrome Neurobiologic Substrate

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have largely corroborated clinical and pre-clinical evidence for the involvement of corticostriatal circuitry in the pathophysiology of Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Relative to normal controls, TS basal ganglia appear to be reduced in volume, and they have reduced blood flow and metabolism. These abnormalities may be more prominent on the left, thereby contributing to abnormal cerebral asymmetries that may implicate the involvement of certain pathogenic influences on the developing cerebrum of children who are genetically predisposed to the disorder. Evidence for the involvement of similar neural circuitry in obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may account for the prevalence of these illnesses as TS comorbidities.