Candidate region for Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome at 7q31

Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS) is a complex n europsychiatric disorde r characterized by motor and vocal ties. The cause of this syndrome is unkn own, although based on family studies there is evidence of a strong genetic component. We report on a 13-year-old boy with GTS, minor physical anomali es, and a de novo partial duplication of chromosome 7q [dup(7)(q22.1-q31.1) ]. The distal breakpoint in our patient is similar to the breakpoint of an apparently balanced familial translocation t(7;18) segregating with G;TS, T ogether, these cases provide evidence that a gene located in the breakpoint region at 7q31 can be involved in the formation of GTS, (C) 2001 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.