Odette Schunke1, Wiebke Grashorn2, Ursula Kahl2, Daniel Schöttle3, Patrick Haggard4, Alexander Münchau5, Ulrike Bingel6, Christos Ganos7. 1. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: o.schunke@uke.de. 2. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 3. Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 4. Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK. 5. Department of Paediatric and Adult Movement Disorders and Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany. 6. Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany. 7. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK; Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology Queen Square, London, UK.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Abnormal sensory perceptions, for instance hypersensitivity to certain external stimuli or premonitory urges preceding tics, are core features in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). Aberrant awareness of externally applied stimuli in terms of altered sensory perception thresholds might contribute to these sensory phenomena in GTS. METHODS: We used the well-established and standardized "Quantitative Sensory Testing" (QST) battery (German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain) to investigate 13 sensory parameters including thermal, mechanical/tactile and pain thresholds in 14 GTS patients without clinically significant comorbidities and 14 healthy controls matched for age and gender. RESULTS: There were no relevant group differences in any of the 13 QST parameters and no specific QST pattern in GTS patients. There was no correlation between QST parameters and "Premonitory Urge for Tics scale" (PUTS) scores. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the perceptual threshold detection of externally applied sensory stimuli is normal in adults with GTS. This indicates that other perceptual mechanisms, such as abnormal central sensorimotor processing and/or aberrant interoceptive awareness might underlie the clinically significant sensory abnormalities in GTS.
INTRODUCTION:Abnormal sensory perceptions, for instance hypersensitivity to certain external stimuli or premonitory urges preceding tics, are core features in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). Aberrant awareness of externally applied stimuli in terms of altered sensory perception thresholds might contribute to these sensory phenomena in GTS. METHODS: We used the well-established and standardized "Quantitative Sensory Testing" (QST) battery (German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain) to investigate 13 sensory parameters including thermal, mechanical/tactile and pain thresholds in 14 GTSpatients without clinically significant comorbidities and 14 healthy controls matched for age and gender. RESULTS: There were no relevant group differences in any of the 13 QST parameters and no specific QST pattern in GTSpatients. There was no correlation between QST parameters and "Premonitory Urge for Tics scale" (PUTS) scores. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the perceptual threshold detection of externally applied sensory stimuli is normal in adults with GTS. This indicates that other perceptual mechanisms, such as abnormal central sensorimotor processing and/or aberrant interoceptive awareness might underlie the clinically significant sensory abnormalities in GTS.
Authors: Odette Fründt; Wiebke Grashorn; Daniel Schöttle; Ina Peiker; Nicole David; Andreas K Engel; Katarina Forkmann; Nathalie Wrobel; Alexander Münchau; Ulrike Bingel Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2017-04
Authors: Julia Friedrich; Henriette Spaleck; Ronja Schappert; Maximilian Kleimaker; Julius Verrel; Tobias Bäumer; Christian Beste; Alexander Münchau Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2021-06-28 Impact factor: 4.379