Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Neurology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Psychiatry

Selected Works

Tourette syndrome

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Neurology

Neurobiology Of The Premonitory Urge In Tourette’S Syndrome: Pathophysiology And Treatment Implications, Andrea E. Cavanna, Kevin J. Black, Mark Hallett, Valerie Voon Dec 2016

Neurobiology Of The Premonitory Urge In Tourette’S Syndrome: Pathophysiology And Treatment Implications, Andrea E. Cavanna, Kevin J. Black, Mark Hallett, Valerie Voon

Kevin J. Black, MD

Motor and vocal tics are relatively common motor manifestations identified as the core features of Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Although traditional descriptions have focused on objective phenomenological observations, such as anatomical location, number and frequency of tics, patients’ first-person accounts have consistently reported characteristic subjective correlates. These sensory phenomena are often described as a feeling of mounting inner tension or urge to move (“premonitory urge”), which is transiently relieved by tic expression. This article reviews the existing literature on the clinical and neurobiological aspects of the premonitory urge in patients with TS, with focus on its pathophysiology and possible treatment implications.

Go to article

Towards Objectively Quantifying Sensory Hypersensitivity: A Pilot Study Of The “Ariana Effect.”, Vassilis N. Panagopoulos, Deanna J. Greene, Meghan C. Campbell, Kevin J. Black Jul 2013

Towards Objectively Quantifying Sensory Hypersensitivity: A Pilot Study Of The “Ariana Effect.”, Vassilis N. Panagopoulos, Deanna J. Greene, Meghan C. Campbell, Kevin J. Black

Kevin J. Black, MD

Background. Normally one habituates rapidly to steady, faint sensations. People with sensory hypersensitivity (SH), by contrast, continue to attend to such stimuli and find them noxious. SH is common in Tourette syndrome (TS) and autism, and methods to quantify SH may lead to better understanding of these disorders. In an attempt to objectively quantify SH severity, the authors tested whether a choice reaction time (CRT) task was a sensitive enough measure to detect significant distraction from a steady tactile stimulus, and to detect significantly greater distraction in subjects with more severe SH.

Methods. Nineteen ambulatory adult volunteers with varying scores …

Go to article