VISUOSPATIAL PRIMING AND LATENT INHIBITION IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH TOURETTES DISORDER

Evidence suggests that there are deficits in cognitive inhibition in p atients with Tourette's disorder (TD). The pathophysiology of TD inclu des abnormalities in basal ganglia structure and function. The authors assessed 2 measures of central inhibition-visuospatial priming (VSP) and latent inhibition-in TD patients and in age- and sex-matched contr ols that are believed to be regulated by brain regions that include th e basal ganglia. Among children, TD patients exhibited reduced inhibit ory priming and increased facilitatory priming in the VSP paradigm. In comparison with controls, both children and adult TD patients exhibit ed significantly reduced inhibition in relation to facilitation; this pattern paralleled the pattern of differences between control children and adults. Latent inhibition was intact in control and TD children a nd adults. Central inhibitory deficits in TD patients appear to be tas k specific and are not fixed across the life span.