The TAA is the only national organization that invests in research for Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Tic Disorders. This research has led to increased knowledge, cutting-edge treatments, and improved care.
This important research is carried out by leading Young Investigators in the field of TS, Tic Disorders, and related disabilities and we invite you to join us in supporting their efforts. When you invest in research, there is a clear and direct impact on the lives of individuals with TS.
In addition, we would like to expand our research efforts into the field of Humanities and Social Sciences. By doing so, it will allow us to meaningfully address key focus areas that inform more than just the medical aspects of the condition, such as exploring creativity and the arts, interpersonal relationships, and so much more.
Support Research
TAA Research Advancements
- There are five genes and genetic variations (eg. CNTNAP2, SLITRK, HDC, NRXN1 and CNTN6) that cause rare forms of Tourette Syndrome, increase the risk of developing TS, and link Tourette Syndrome with other conditions like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), a medication-free behavioral therapy, has become the first-line treatment option recommended by the American Academy of Neurology, and is actively disseminated both nationally and internationally.
- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), while still experimental, has identified a pathway toward FDA approval for the treatment of severe TS cases.
- MRI studies have discovered differences in gray and white matter within a Tourettic brain, compared to control subjects, which could lead to more personalized treatment plans.
- For every $1 of TAA grant funding, investigators have obtained approximately $10 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leveraging TAA’s initial seed investments toward larger research impact.
2024-2025 Young Investigator Award Projects
Determining the Neural Circuitry Affected by Tourette Syndrome
Miriam Bocarsly, PhD – Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School
Understanding the Individualized Brain Function Underlying Tics
Damion Demeter, PhD – Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California – San Diego
Characterizing the Interplay of Genetic Variants in Parent-Child Trios with Tic Disorders
Emily Olfson, MD, PhD – Assistant Professor, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
Developing Patient-Centered Outcome Measures for the Treatment of Tics
Emily Wilton, PhD – Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota
Highlighting Past Projects
2023-2024
EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD STRESS, MALES, AND TS
Cheng Jiang, PhD, Yale University
Deepening our understanding of how environmental and sexual differences are related to TS, paving the way for the development of sex-specific intervention and prevention strategies.
USING MEDICAL RECORDS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF GENETICS IN TIC DISORDERS
Tyne Miller-Fleming, PhD, Vanderbilt University
Improving the scientific understanding of how genetics contributes to Tourette Syndrome by calculating a person’s risk of Tic Disorders via electronic medical records to identify patterns of medical conditions that commonly occur with a Tic Disorder diagnosis.
UNDERSTANDING HOW STIGMA AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH IN ADULTS WITH TS
Chengshi Shiu, PhD, University of California Los Angeles
Gaining a better understanding of how stigma affects the mental health of adults with Tourette Syndrome with a long-term goal to find ways to support adults with TS in managing the challenges of stigma and promoting their mental health.
UIMPROVING TIC MANAGEMENT WITH COMPREHENSIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR TICS
Brianna Wellen, PhD, University of Minnesota
Examining fine-grained changes in tic controllability throughout CBIT by collecting information about tics before, during, and after treatment for 80 participants, and mapping how changes in tic controllability are associated with treatment success.
2022-2023
DEVELOPING GAME PLAY TO ENHANCE BEHAVIOR THERAPY
Gal Raz, PhD, Tel-Aviv University and Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Developing and validating a neuroscientifically-informed gamified tic therapy platform to enhance exposure and response prevention (ERP) behavioral treatment in Tic Disorders by increasing the efficiency and compliance with the treatment.
INVESTIGATING NEURON ACTIVITY DYSFUNCTION
Max Tischfield, PhD, Rutgers University
Investigating changes to neuronal activity and behavior using mouse models for Tourette Syndrome engineered to express human de novo mutations in Celsr3.
EXPLORING BRAIN COMMUNICATION AS A MECHANISM OF COMPULSION
Alik Widge, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota
Studying how brain areas communicate to produce more flexible or more rigid, compulsive behavior, to understand both the tics and the obsessive-compulsive symptoms of TS.
EXAMINING BRAIN ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP BIOMARKERS
Davis Alan Isaacs, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Identifying markers of brain activity associated with premonitory urge and sensory processing dysfunction in Tourette Syndrome. This work aims to deepen insight into mechanisms of Tourette Syndrome sensory symptoms and to facilitate development of clinically meaningful biomarkers.
2021-2022
STUDYING LEARNING PROCESSES TO OPTIMIZE TREATMENT OUTCOMES
Joey Ka-Yee Essoe, PhD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Studying the relationship between therapeutic learning processes and behavior treatment outcomes in youth with Tourette Syndrome with the goal of updating and optimizing interventions like Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).
