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Severe Tourette syndrome (TS), which often manifests with comorbidities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depression, can be extremely disabling. TS pathophysiology is thought to stem from a defect in the cortical-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical neuronal circuit, which has been targeted by deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the control of tics.
To assess the effectiveness of DBS in ameliorating TS symptoms, investigators used the procedure to target the anteromedial globus pallidus interna in 11 adults (mean age, 33; 73% men) with severe, treatment-refractory disease. The primary measure of outcome was the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale score, which rates motor and phonic tics.
Ten patients (91%) achieved clinically meaningfu…