TS Research

Under the leadership of Dr. James F. Leckman, the research group has secured several federal and private grants to study the causes and treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and related childhood psychiatric disorders. In order to further our understanding of these disorders, we obtain a comprehensive set of data on all subjects, which allows a multidimensional analysis. Listed below are some of the primary studies underway as part of this effort.

Genetic Studies of Tourette Syndrome

In progress.

Behavior Therapy for Adults and Adolescents with TS

We are recruiting subjects for a study of behavior therapy for tics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a form of behavior therapy called Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) is helpful for reducing tics. CBIT will be compared to Psychoeducational Supportive Therapy (PST) and participants of this study will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to receive CBIT or PST.

Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) therapy consists of eight one-hour long treatment sessions scheduled over ten weeks. During this treatment, participants with learn to monitor their tics and will practice simple behavioral response that may make the tics less frequent or bothersome. Psychoeducational Supportive Therapy (PST) will also consist of eight one-hour long sessions scheduled over ten weeks. This treatment involves stress management, problem-solving, and learning strategies for coping with negative emotions.

To be eligible for the study participants must

• be 16 years of age or older
• have Tourette Syndrome or Chronic Tic Disorder
• be medication free or on a stable dose of medication

All adults or adolescents and their parents who are involved in the study will be asked to fill out rating scales, questionnaires, and answer questions about symptoms and behavior relevant to this project. CBIT and PST are free. Subjects will be offered $25 for each assessment visit, and compensated for parking costs on therapy visits. Participation in this study is voluntary and will not affect any future treatment in the Yale Child Study Center.

If you are interested in the project, please contact Dr. Denis Sukhodolsky at (203) 785-6446 or Joseph McGuire at (203) 785-5805.

Neurobiological Mechanisms

We are studying the neurobiology of Tourette syndrome by direct anatomical and cellular studies of postmortem human brain samples donated by individuals with Tourette syndrome, as compared with normal control brains. These studies are ongoing in the Child Study Center’s Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory (PI, Flora Vaccarino) in collaboration with the clinical team (PI, James Leckman).

We are also currently conducting a study is to evaluate the neurobiological mechanisms of behavior therapy for tic reduction by collecting EEG data before and after therapy in children ages 8 to 12 years of age with Tourette Syndrome. Behavior therapy for tics, also known as Habit Reversal Training (HRT) consists of eight sessions administered over a ten week period. HRT, which consists of awareness training and competing response training, is designed to break the pattern maintaining tic expression. Awareness training involves describing the tic and the sensations and behaviors that precede the tic. Competing response training involves performing a behavior that is physically incompatible with the tic or makes the tic difficult to occur. As part of this study, we will record electrical signals which are produced by the brain using electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG will be recorded while children are performing simple computer tasks (such as figuring out the directions of arrows), resting, and suppressing tics. We will also collect parent ratings and clinical evaluations of tic and other conditions such as ADHD which may co-occur with Tourette Syndrome. This study is supported by the pilot/feasibility study award to Denis Sukhodolsky, Ph.D. from the Center for Self and Family Management of Vulnerable Populations at the Yale School of Nursing. Please contact Dr. Sukhodolsky at (203) 785-4664 or denis.sukhodolsky@yale.edu if you would like to receive more information about this study.