Associative plasticity in supplementary motor area - motor cortex pathways in Tourette syndrome

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jennifer Tübing - , University of Lübeck, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Lübeck (Author)
  • Bettina Gigla - , University of Lübeck (Author)
  • Valerie Cathérine Brandt - , University of Lübeck, University of Southampton (Author)
  • Julius Verrel - , University of Lübeck (Author)
  • Anne Weissbach - , University of Lübeck, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Lübeck (Author)
  • Christian Beste - , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Author)
  • Alexander Münchau - , University of Lübeck (Author)
  • Tobias Bäumer - , University of Lübeck (Author)

Abstract

The important role of the supplementary motor area (SMA) in the generation of tics and urges in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is underscored by an increased SMA-motor cortex (M1) connectivity. However, whether plasticity is also altered in SMA-M1 pathways is unclear. We explored whether SMA-M1 plasticity is altered in patients with Tourette syndrome. 15 patients with GTS (mean age of 33.4 years, SD = 9.9) and 19 age and sex matched healthy controls were investigated with a paired association stimulation (PAS) protocol using three transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils stimulating both M1 and the SMA. Standard clinical measures for GTS symptoms were collected. There was a significant PAS effect showing that MEP amplitudes measured in blocks during and after PAS were significantly higher compared to those in the first block. However, the degree of PAS was not differentially modulated between patients and controls as shown by a Bayesian data analysis. PAS effects in GTS correlated positively with the YGTSS motor tic severity. Plasticity previously reported to be altered in sensorimotor pathways in GTS is normal in SMA-M1 projections suggesting that the dysfunction of the SMA in GTS is not primarily related to altered plasticity in SMA-M1 connections.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number11984
JournalScientific reports
Volume8
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 30097615
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/160952656

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas