How Tourette syndrome develops in the brain
Official title: Neurodevelopment of Tourette syndrome
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11249573 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | January 19, 2019 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $750,365 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH118453-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249573 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults with Tourette syndrome who can provide blood or skin samples for iPSC creation or who can consent to postmortem brain donation.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate clinical treatment or improvement in current symptoms are unlikely to get direct short-term benefit from this lab-based research.
What this research studies
This project studies brain tissue from people with Tourette syndrome and grows patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells into 3-D basal ganglia organoids in the lab. Scientists use single-nucleus RNA sequencing on postmortem brains to find which cell types are reduced and when those deficits arise during development. Lab-grown organoids let researchers test how pathways like sonic hedgehog (SHH) affect interneuron production and why cells from TS individuals respond differently. The team will expand their postmortem and organoid work to additional brain regions to build a clearer picture of early developmental causes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could uncover early brain changes that lead to Tourette syndrome and point to targets for treatments that prevent or reduce tics.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work by this team and others has already shown interneuron deficits in TS postmortem brains and preliminary organoid findings, so this continues promising but still early results.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vaccarino, Flora M — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Vaccarino, Flora M
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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Investigating brain imaging and cognitive markers in children with Tourette syndrome
This study is looking at how Tourette syndrome affects kids by using brain scans and tests over time to see how their brain functions change as they grow, with the goal of finding ways to help manage their symptoms better.
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.