People with Tourette syndrome have less 50% interneurons, brain cells responsible for soothing excess signals in brain movement circuits. Patients seem to have the same functional genes as everyone else, but coordination between them is broken.
A new study by Mayo Clinic found that people with Tourette síndrome have about Half of a specific type of brain cell Responsible for soothing the signs of hyperactive movement compared to people without the condition.
This deficit can be a crucial reason why motor signals are not properly controlled, leading to the involuntary tics that characterize the disorder.
Tourette syndrome, chronic neurological disturbance that translates into the presence of certain (simple or complex) tics, manifests itself normally before 18 years of age.
TICES ARE Movements (motor tics) and vocalizations (vocal tics) meaningless and out of context, involuntary, rapid and recurring. Their frequency and intensity are variable.
O, recently published in Biological Psychiatryis the first to analyze individual brain cells of people with Tourette syndrome.
Study results can also help clarify how different brain cell types can interact in ways that contribute to symptoms of the syndrome.
“This research can help establish the foundations for a new generation of treatments,” says Alexei to makescientist specializing in genomic at the Custom Medicine Center of Mayo Clinic and study co -author, in a statement published in.
“If we can understand how these brain cells are altered and how they interact with each other, we may intervene earlier and more accurately“Adds Abyzov.
A Síndrome de Tourette Causa Repetitive movements and vocalizations and involuntary, as blink your eyes, throat or do grimaces. Although genetic studies have already identified some risk genes, the biological mechanisms behind the condition were not yet clear.
To better understand what happens in the brain of people with Tourette syndrome, Abyzov and its team analyzed over 43,000 individual brain tissue cells post mortem of people with and without the condition.
Researchers focused on basal gangliaa region of the brain that helps control movement and behavior. In each cell, they observed how genes were working, and analyzed as changes in brain genetic control systems could trigger stress and inflammatory responses.
Initially, the authors of the study found, in people with Tourette syndrome, a 50% reduction in interneuronsthe brain cells responsible for calm the excess signals in the movement circuits of the brain.
Also observed stress responses in Two other types of cells brain.
Os MEDIATE SHOE NEURONIANSwhich constitute most cells in the basal ganglia and help send signs of motion, presented a reduced energy production. I and microgliathe brain’s immunity cells, presented inflammation.
The two answers were closely linked, suggesting that cells may be Interact in the disturbance of Tourette.
“We are observing different types of brain cells reacting to stress and possibly communicating with each other that may be causing symptoms,” he says Yifan Wangstudy co -author.
The study also provides evidence that the underlying cause of brain cell changes in Tourette disturbance may be linked to parts of the DNA which control when genes activate and deactivate.
“Patients with Tourette seem to have the same functional genes That all other people, but the coordination between them is broken, ”explains Abyzov.
Next, researchers plan to study how these brain changes develop over time and seek genetic factors that can help explain the disturbance.
