What makes behavioral therapy work for kids with tics
Multimodal Profiling of Response to Pediatric Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics
This project uses brain scans, EEG, and behavior measures to learn which children ages 10–17 with chronic tics improve after CBIT and which parts of the therapy help most.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11172654 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll complete eight weekly outpatient sessions of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and attend visits before treatment, after treatment, and three months later. At those visits you'll have brain imaging (fMRI), EEG, and behavioral tests that measure brain network connectivity and tic control. Researchers will compare the brain and behavior data to identify patterns that predict who improves and which therapy components drive change. The study aims to explain why CBIT helps some kids and guide more personalized care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are youth aged 10–17 with chronic tics who can attend weekly outpatient therapy and participate in MRI and EEG visits.
Not a fit: Children younger than 10, those who cannot tolerate MRI/EEG, or those unable to attend in-person sessions are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help match children to the parts of CBIT most likely to help them and lead to more personalized treatment for tics.
How similar studies have performed: CBIT is the current first-line, evidence-based treatment for tics, but about half of youth do not improve and mechanistic pediatric studies using fMRI/EEG are novel.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Sonya Grace — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Wang, Sonya Grace
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 below.