Increased midbrain gray matter in Tourette's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate cerebral structure in Tourette's syndrome (TS).


METHODS
Voxel-based morphometry study of high-resolution MRIs in 31 TS patients compared with 31 controls.


RESULTS
Increased gray matter mainly in the left mesencephalon in 31 TS patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This result constitutes strong and direct evidence supporting Devinsky's hypothesis (Devinsky O. Neuroanatomy of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome. Possible midbrain involvement. Arch Neurol 1983;40:508-514) according to which midbrain disturbances play an important pathogenic role in TS.
Garraux
Gaëtan
G
Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428, USA.
Goldfine
Andrew
A
Bohlhalter
Stephan
S
Lerner
Alicja
A
Hanakawa
Takashi
T
Hallett
Mark
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*