Deficient motor control in children with tic disorder: evidence from transcranial magnetic stimulation

Decreased motor inhibition was reported in adult patients with tic disorder (TD) using the technique of transcranial magnetic stimulation. Since ties usually begin during childhood, motor threshold, cortical silent period (CS P) and intracortical inhibition/facilitation were measured in 21 TD childre n and 25 healthy children aged 10-16 years. In TD children motor threshold was normal. The CSP was significantly shortened compared to healthy control s but did not depend on tic localization. Intracortical inhibition and faci litation did not differ between the two groups. This study confirms that th e finding of decreased motor control in adult patients also holds true for children wherever the ties in the latter group were located. (C) 1999 Elsev ier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.