A Computer Vision System to Help Patients with Tourette Syndrome Manage Tics
Official title: SCH: Computer Vision Algorithms to Detect Tics In Patients with Tourette Syndrome
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10930961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is creating a smart digital tool to help people with Tourette Syndrome practice managing their tics at home.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $300,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS135613-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10930961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is designed for individuals with Tourette Syndrome who are seeking more effective ways to practice behavior therapy skills.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not interested in or unable to engage with technology-assisted behavior therapy may not directly benefit from this specific tool.
What this research studies
Tourette Syndrome affects many children and causes significant challenges, and while behavior therapy is recommended, over half of patients do not fully respond and often rely on medications with unwanted side effects. A key challenge in behavior therapy is the need for a human partner to help with practice at home, which can be difficult to access and ensure accuracy. Our team is developing a 'digital practice partner' using computer vision to accurately identify and classify tics during daily activities. This innovative tool aims to make behavior therapy practice more accessible and effective, helping patients achieve better long-term outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this digital tool could make effective behavior therapy more accessible and help many more patients with Tourette Syndrome manage their tics without relying on medications.
How similar studies have gone: While behavior therapy itself is a proven treatment, this approach of using computer vision as a digital practice partner for tic detection is a novel application.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vidal, Rene — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Vidal, Rene
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Precision brain mapping of tics in children with Tourette syndrome
A new study uses advanced MRI to map brain activity in individual kids with Tourette syndrome to understand why tics differ from child to child.
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Digital tic-detection partner to support Tourette syndrome therapy
A computer vision system will help detect tics in children and youths with Tourette syndrome to support behavioral therapy at home and in real life.
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Quantifying Tourette tics with video and computer tools
This project aims to develop and test video-based, automated ways to measure tic severity in people with Tourette Syndrome.
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Brain-feedback training to help teens with Tourette control tics
This project teaches teenagers with Tourette syndrome to use real-time MRI brain-feedback to change activity in a motor brain area with the goal of reducing tics.
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International collaboration mapping genes and brain scans in Tourette syndrome
This project brings together MRI brain scans and genetic data from people with Tourette syndrome and related conditions to spot biological patterns linked to tics and co-occurring symptoms.
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How Tourette syndrome develops in the brain
Researchers are using donated brain tissue and patient-derived stem cells to learn why people with Tourette syndrome have fewer specific brain cells in the basal ganglia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.