Valentina Niccolai1, Silvana Korczok2, Jennifer Finis3, Melanie Jonas4, Götz Thomalla5, Hartwig Roman Siebner6, Kirsten Müller-Vahl7, Alexander Münchau8, Alfons Schnitzler3, Katja Biermann-Ruben3. 1. Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf University, Germany. Electronic address: Valentina.Niccolai@hhu.de. 2. General Internal Medicine, Infectiology, Pneumology, Osteology, Leverkusen Hospital, Germany. 3. Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf University, Germany. 4. Department of Human Resources, Health and Social Affairs, Fachhochschule des Mittelstands, University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany. 5. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany. 6. Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark. 7. Clinic of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Germany. 8. Department of Pediatric and Adult Movement Disorders and Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tics are the core symptom of patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, yet the spatial-temporal dynamics of neural activity causing a tic remains to be determined. OBJECTIVE: Identification of cortical events preceding tic onset. METHODS: In twelve patients with Tourette syndrome we performed magnetoencephalography to trace the time course of beta oscillations (15-30 Hz) in motor cortical areas before tic onset. RESULTS: Patients showed a biphasic modulation of cortical beta activity during the second before tic onset. We observed an initial increase of beta power over the left-hemispheric channels overlying the motor cortex. This increase was subsequently replaced by a decrease in beta power. The beta decrease close to tic onset resembled the typical pattern accompanying preparation of voluntary movements. Only the initial increase in beta power positively correlated with the intensity of motor urges preceding tics. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial-temporal dynamics of cortical activity suggests a voluntary component of tics that might be triggered by a failure of compensatory motor inhibitory mechanisms.
BACKGROUND: Tics are the core symptom of patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, yet the spatial-temporal dynamics of neural activity causing a tic remains to be determined. OBJECTIVE: Identification of cortical events preceding tic onset. METHODS: In twelve patients with Tourette syndrome we performed magnetoencephalography to trace the time course of beta oscillations (15-30 Hz) in motor cortical areas before tic onset. RESULTS:Patients showed a biphasic modulation of cortical beta activity during the second before tic onset. We observed an initial increase of beta power over the left-hemispheric channels overlying the motor cortex. This increase was subsequently replaced by a decrease in beta power. The beta decrease close to tic onset resembled the typical pattern accompanying preparation of voluntary movements. Only the initial increase in beta power positively correlated with the intensity of motor urges preceding tics. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial-temporal dynamics of cortical activity suggests a voluntary component of tics that might be triggered by a failure of compensatory motor inhibitory mechanisms.
Authors: Jennifer Langelage; Julius Verrel; Julia Friedrich; Alina Siekmann; Ronja Schappert; Annet Bluschke; Veit Roessner; Theresa Paulus; Tobias Bäumer; Christian Frings; Christian Beste; Alexander Münchau Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2022-09-26 Impact factor: 4.996