Tourette Syndrome News and Research

Latest Tourette Syndrome News and Research

Diet linked to onset of mental illness

Changes in diet have been linked to a reduction of abnormal behaviors in mentally ill people or animals, but a Purdue University study shows that diet might also trigger the onset of mental illness in the first place.

14 Dec 2010

OMJPI enters agreement with Watson to distribute generic version of CONCERTA tablets

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced it has entered into a supply and distribution agreement with Watson Laboratories, Inc. to distribute an authorized generic version of CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl extended-release tablets).

3 Nov 2010

Researchers find minocycline antibiotics effective for fragile X syndrome

One of the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to treat adolescent acne can increase attention spans and communication and decrease anxiety in patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, according to a new survey study that is the first published on parents' reports of their children's responses to treatment with the medication.

9 Sep 2010

Anxiety in school is seasonal and age dependent: Pediatric psychiatrists

With summer fading, anxiety is on the rise for some students anticipating the return of school. But it isn't just the first days of classes that can provoke angst -- anxiety in school is seasonal and age dependent, say pediatric psychiatrists.

2 Sep 2010

Scientists identify new strategy for treating movement disorders

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and Stanford University have shown how key circuits in the brain control movement. The research, published in the journal Nature not only establishes the function of these circuits, but offers promise for treating movement related disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

8 Jul 2010

Study finds anxiety/panic disorder as most-disabling psychiatric disorder associated with TS

An assessment of patients with adult Tourette syndrome (TS) to identify clinical factors that contribute to psychosocial and occupational disabilities resulting from the vocal or motor tics that define TS found that anxiety/panic disorder may be the most disabling psychiatric condition associated with the disorder.

18 Jun 2010

CBIT therapy helps Tourette Syndrome children manage tics

A comprehensive behavioral therapy is effective in helping children with Tourette Syndrome manage their tics, according to a study published in the May 19, 2010 special issue of the Journal of the American Medication Association (JAMA), which was dedicated to addressing mental health disorders. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) and involved several leading universities working in partnership with the national Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc (TSA).

19 May 2010

Researchers to identify rare genetic mutation to produce histamine against TS

A single, very unusual family with Tourette syndrome has led Yale School of Medicine researchers to identify a rare mutation in a gene that is required to produce histamine. The finding provides a new framework to understand many years of data on the role of histamine function in the brain and points to a potentially novel approach to treatment of tics and Tourette.

6 May 2010

Study shows encouraging results of DBS in psychiatric disorder treatment

Psychosurgery is making a comeback. Recently published case series have shown encouraging results of so-called deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, depressive disorders, and Tourette syndrome.

5 Mar 2010

Neurocrine to advance its NBI-98854 VMAT2 Inhibitor into a multiple repeated dose Phase 1 study

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. today announced their highly selective vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, NBI-98854, will be advanced in clinical development.

21 Dec 2009

Depression drug TC-5214 earns USF its most lucrative patent royalties to date

A depression drug created and patented by a team of University of South Florida researchers is at the center of major deal between global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC and Targacept, Inc., earning the university its potentially most lucrative patent royalties to date.

9 Dec 2009

Early intervention for young children with autism improves IQ, communication and social interaction

A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism - some as young as 18 months - is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found.

30 Nov 2009

New clinical uses for old hypertension drug leads to several patents

University of South Florida neuroscientist R. Douglas Shytle's discovery of successful new clinical uses for mecamylamine, a drug once used to treat hypertension, has led to several issued patents on mecamylamine and related compounds. Earlier this month, Shytle, associate professor and research scientist at the USF Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair and the USF Silver Child Development Center, received the university's 2009 "Excellence in Innovation" award.

28 Oct 2009

Deep brain stimulation: New treatment option for people with severe Tourette syndrome

Deep brain stimulation may be a safe and effective treatment for Tourette syndrome, according to research published in the October 27, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Oct 2009

SAMHSA honors contributors to mental health recovery at the 2009 Voice Awards

Writers and producers from The Soloist, "Grey's Anatomy," "United States of Tara," "90210," and others were honored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for increasing awareness of mental health issues and the power of recovery at the 2009 Voice Awards last night. The event was hosted by Academy Award-winning actor and mental health consumer Richard Dreyfuss at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

15 Oct 2009

Streptococcal infection does not cause OCD or Tourette syndrome, says study

New research shows that streptococcal infection does not appear to cause or trigger Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research is published in the September 30, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Oct 2009

New insights into identifying children at risk for autoimmune brain disorders

A new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's Center for Infection and Immunity indicates that pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome and/or tic disorder may develop from an inappropriate immune response to the bacteria causing common throat infections.

11 Aug 2009

Mylan receives FDA approval for additional strengths of antipsychotic Haloperidol

Mylan Inc. has announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its supplemental Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Haloperidol Tablets USP, 10 mg and 20 mg. These strengths are in addition to Mylan's currently marketed 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg and 5 mg strengths of the product.

20 Jul 2009

New pieces in the autism inheritance puzzle

Pieces in the complex autism inheritance puzzle are emerging in the latest study from a research team including geneticists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The study identified 27 different genetic regions where rare copy number variations - missing or extra copies of DNA segments - were found in the genes of children with autism spectrum disorders, but not in the healthy controls. The findings are published June 26 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

30 Jun 2009

Deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders

Pioneering therapeutic trials to investigate the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in hard-to-treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome are underway at multiple medical centers around the world, according to a review in the June 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

30 Jun 2009