Malek I. Makki1,2, Rajkuma Munina-Govindan3, Benjamin Wilson3, Michael E. Behen3, Harry T. Chugani4
1Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 2Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 3Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 4Pediatrics and Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
Synopsis: To determine whether abnormal connectivity of the fronto-striato-thalamic circuit underlies the morphological changes in subcortical structures of patients with Tourette syndrome, and to correlate these changes with neurobehavioral measures. Eighteen children with Tourette Syndrome and 12 age matched healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor MRI. Tractography of the fronto-striato-thalamic circuit was achieved using probability distribution function of individual voxels. Obsessive compulsive behavior was negatively associated with connectivity score of the left caudate and anterior dorsolateral frontal cortex (p=0.01), and was positively associated with connectivity score for the subcallosal gyrus (p=0.009) and for the lentiform nucleus (p=0.008).