The Scharf Lab is looking for volunteers with Tourette syndrome (TS) or a chronic/persistent tic disorder (CT/PTD) for a 3-year longitudinal research study. The study’s goals are to find genes involved in TS and related conditions and to investigate social and clinical factors that may affect how people’s symptoms change over time. We hope that this study will help us identify new targets for treatment and improve our ability to predict how people will respond to different treatments.
If you are interested in participating, please email our Clinical Research Coordinator, Ariadne Kaylor, at akaylor@mgh.harvard.edu or findtsgenes@partners.org.
Eligibility criteria:
Participation involves:
Using data from a survey of recontacted participants from previous genetic studies, the Scharf Lab is currently analyzing variables that influence the trajectory of tic symptoms from childhood to adulthood, as well as the effect of significant life events (positive or negative) on adulthood tic symptoms.
Study aims:
(1) Examine the trajectory of tic symptoms and impairment from childhood to adulthood
(2) Identify clinical and demographic predictors of adulthood tic severity and impairment
(3) Identify which factors predict how tics change from childhood to adulthood
(4) Assess the impact of significant life events on adulthood tic symptoms and impairment
The Scharf Lab is currently working with the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and a team of researchers across the globe to identify novel risk loci for Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders.
