Neuroanatomical features in Giles de la Tourette syndrome

Tic disorders, in particular Tourette syndrome, are a neurodevelopmental disorder common in the pediatric population. The clinical manifestations of these disorders vary greatly depending on individual characteristics, age, gender, and the presence or absence of comorbidities. The pathophysiology of these disorders is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, immunological, and neurobiological factors. From a fundamental neurophysiological perspective, Tourette syndrome is associated with a neurochemical imbalance of monoamines and structural and functional changes affecting, in particular, neural networks involved in the processing and coordination of movements: the basal ganglia, thalamus, motor cortex, and cingulate cortex. To date, studies have demonstrated the involvement of many more brain areas, such as the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. This article presents the latest research on neuroanatomical features in patients with Tourette syndrome and healthy individuals. During the analysis of the literature, a connection was found between the clinical manifestations of the disease and the morphometric characteristics of the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, cingulate gyrus and prefrontal cortex of patients.

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