Brain scans reveal clues to impulsivity in tourette syndrome

NCT ID NCT02960698

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study used brain scans and behavioral tests to explore why people with Tourette syndrome often act impulsively. Researchers compared 80 patients (40 on medication, 40 not) with 40 healthy volunteers. The goal was to map brain connections linked to impulsivity, which could help develop better treatments in the future.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this research could point toward more targeted treatments for impulsivity in Tourette syndrome.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It aims to understand the brain, not to test a therapy, so direct patient benefits are not immediate.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

98 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2016

Finished

Apr 2018

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a government body.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: For all subjects: * ≥ about 18 and 65 years old * About receiving Social Security or universal health coverage or any equivalent plan * About who signed the informed consent For TS patients treated : * TS principal diagnosis, based on the DSM-5 criteria * Stable pharmacological treatment at least 4 weeks prior to study entry; * Possibility of controlling the majority tics of the upper part of the body lying down for at least 10 minutes (frequency tics on YGTSS \<3). For TS patients untreated: * TS principal diagnosis, based on the DSM-5 criteria * No psychotropic treatments (neuroleptics, antidepressants or anxiolytics) mentioned at the time of inclusion. * Possibility of controlling the majority tics of the upper part of the body lying down for at least 10 minutes (frequency tics on YGTSS \<3). In healthy volunteers: * Normal neurological examination (evaluation MINI). * No regular pharmacological treatment with the exception of birth control pills for women Exclusion Criteria: For all patients TS: * Age \<18 years. * Presence One of the following diagnoses Axis I DSM-5: schizophrenic disorders or current psychotic episode or in the past, bipolar disorder, current major depressive disorder autism spectrum. * Abus Psychotropic substance dependency or a psychotropic substance, including alcohol (except nicotine). * Support Regular / chronic drugs and other xenobiotics tropic psychotropic. * Support Treatment with benzodiazepines in the 4 months prior to study entry. -Patient Subject to a measure of legal protection (guardianship, curatorship or safeguard justice). -No private freedom by administrative decision or justice. * No Unable to consent and are not subject to a protection measure. * Participation In other biomedical research or subjected to an exclusion period for another search. * Problems General understanding. * Weight Of more than 150 kg. * Inability To maintain an upper portion of movement of the body lying down for at least 10 minutes (frequency tics on YGTSS\> 3). In healthy volunteers (HV): * psychiatric disorders, cognitive impairment assessed by the MINI scale. * About not being able to understand the tasks * age \<18 years. * No Subject to a measure of legal protection (guardianship, curatorship or safeguard justice). * Participation In other biomedical research or subjected to an exclusion period for another search. * Not Unable to consent and are not subject to a protection measure. * Not private freedom by administrative decision or court For TS patients (treated and untreated) and HV * relative to MRI 3Tesla : pacemaker, cardiac cell or neural stimulator ferromagnetic surgical clips body intraocular or intracranial metallic foreign cochlear implant artificial heart valve or arterial metal surgical equipment metallic material that could concentrate the radio frequency pulses pregnant women, women in labor or lactating aneurism Standing up the eyelids vascular malformation of the brain * Topic not wishing to be informed of a clinically significant abnormality discovered during the realization of MRI

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Tourette syndrome are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • HARTMANN

    Paris, Île-de-France Region, 75013, France

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.