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Abstract #1979

White Matter Abnormalities in Tourette Syndrome Extend Beyond Motor Pathways

Irene Neuner1,2, Yuliya Kupriyanova3, Tony Stcker2,4, Oleg Posnansky2, Marc Tittgemeyer3, Frank Schneider1,4, N. J. Shah2,5

1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; 2Medical Imaging Physics, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany; 3Max-Planck-Institut fr Neurologische Forschung, Cologne, Germany; 4JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Germany; 5Department of Neurology,Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany


White matter abnormalities in patients with Tourette syndrome are investigated using diffusion tensor imaging, Tract-Based Spatial Statistics and correlation analysis. Our results indicate that TS is not restricted to motor pathways alone but affects association fibres such as the inferior fronto-occipital fascicle, the superior longitudinal fascicle and fascicle uncinatus as well. The detected abnormalities in Tourette patients complement the idea of the developmental character of the disorder. They show a pathological pattern reaching beyond the corticospinal tract. The alteration pattern of decreased fractional anisotropy and increased radial diffusivity might indicate a deficit myelination as one pathophysiologic factor in Tourette.