Tourette's Syndrome Negatively Affects Sleep Due To Abnormalities in the Basal Ganglia and the Thalamus
Major
Psychology
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor
Jason Themanson
Location
CNS E101
Start Date
4-12-2025 11:15 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 12:15 PM
Abstract
Gilles de la Tourette’s Syndrome, or Tourette’s Syndrome, is a type of chronic neurodevelopmental tic disorder associated with motor and phonic tics. The tics within tic disorders like Tourette's Syndrome are believed to originate from dysfunctions in the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain, more specifically, the basal ganglia and the thalamus. Tic occurrence and a more than usual amount of dopamine have been linked to TS through findings of imbalances in the inhibitory and excitatory pathways within the basal ganglia. The thalamocortical circuits are important for integrating information, such as movement, from the basal ganglia to higher cortical areas such as the prefrontal cortex. A dysfunction in the thalamocortical circuits can lead to altered sensory processing and motor outputs, which can result in unwanted motor tics during different stages of sleep. Underlying sleep disruptions could be explained by the previously mentioned misguided signals being sent through the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits.
Tourette's Syndrome Negatively Affects Sleep Due To Abnormalities in the Basal Ganglia and the Thalamus
CNS E101
Gilles de la Tourette’s Syndrome, or Tourette’s Syndrome, is a type of chronic neurodevelopmental tic disorder associated with motor and phonic tics. The tics within tic disorders like Tourette's Syndrome are believed to originate from dysfunctions in the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain, more specifically, the basal ganglia and the thalamus. Tic occurrence and a more than usual amount of dopamine have been linked to TS through findings of imbalances in the inhibitory and excitatory pathways within the basal ganglia. The thalamocortical circuits are important for integrating information, such as movement, from the basal ganglia to higher cortical areas such as the prefrontal cortex. A dysfunction in the thalamocortical circuits can lead to altered sensory processing and motor outputs, which can result in unwanted motor tics during different stages of sleep. Underlying sleep disruptions could be explained by the previously mentioned misguided signals being sent through the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits.