Somatosensory perception–action binding in Tourette syndrome

Abstract

It is a common phenomenon that somatosensory sensations can trigger actions to alleviate experienced tension. Such “urges” are particularly relevant in patients with Gilles de la Tourette (GTS) syndrome since they often precede tics, the cardinal feature of this common neurodevelopmental disorder. Altered sensorimotor integration processes in GTS as well as evidence for increased binding of stimulus- and response-related features (“hyper-binding”) in the visual domain suggest enhanced perception–action binding also in the somatosensory modality. In the current study, the Theory of Event Coding (TEC) was used as an overarching cognitive framework to examine somatosensory-motor binding. For this purpose, a somatosensory-motor version of a task measuring stimulus–response binding (S-R task) was tested using electro-tactile stimuli. Contrary to the main hypothesis, there were no group differences in binding effects between GTS patients and healthy controls in the somatosensory-motor paradigm. Behavioral data did not indicate differences in binding between examined groups. These data can be interpreted such that a compensatory “downregulation” of increased somatosensory stimulus saliency, e.g., due to the occurrence of somatosensory urges and hypersensitivity to external stimuli, results in reduced binding with associated motor output, which brings binding to a “normal” level. Therefore, “hyper-binding” in GTS seems to be modality-specific.

Aberrant Functional Connectivity of the Salience Network in Adult Patients with Tic Disorders: A Resting-State fMRI Study

“…These disorders manifest with the sudden onset of obsessive–compulsive symptoms, tics, or a combination of both, and their symptoms are heightened during group A streptococcal infections ( Younger, 2023 ). Neuropsychological observations support a notion of TD that goes beyond a disorder of motor control and involves complex patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes ( Ruhrman et al, 2017 ), likely affecting the domains of sensory perception ( Belluscio et al, 2011 ), sensory–motor integration ( Friedrich et al, 2021 ), attention ( Misirlisoy et al, 2015 ), and social cognition ( Channon et al, 2004 , 2012 ; Eddy and Cavanna, 2013a , 2015 ). Remarkably, these neuropsychological functions are closely related to salience-based information processing in the brain ( Seeley, 2019 ; Lugrin et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Individuals with TD may have impairments in these functions ( Abbruzzese and Berardelli, 2003 ), likely affecting sensorimotor integration and, consequently, motor control ( Patel et al, 2014 ). The increased binding of stimulus- and response-related cues in visual processes and the altered sensorimotor integration processes in TD suggest an increased perceptual and action binding in the somatosensory area ( Nowak et al, 2005 ; Friedrich et al, 2021 ). In this context, the integration of perceptions into processes pertaining to planning, execution, and adaptation of complex movements has been shown to be impaired in TD ( Kim et al, 2019 ).…”

“…e N e u r o A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t (Friedrich et al, 2021;Nowak et al, 2005). In this context, the integration of perceptions into processes pertaining to planning, execution, and adaptation of complex movements has been shown to be impaired in TD (Kim et al, 2019).…”

“…e N e u r o A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t control and involves complex patterns of cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes (Ruhrman et al, 2017), likely affecting the domains of sensory perception (Belluscio et al, 2011), sensory-motor integration (Friedrich et al, 2021), attention (Misirlisoy et al, 2015) and social cognition (Channon et al, 2004(Channon et al, , 2012Eddy & Cavanna, 2013a. Remarkably, these neuropsychological functions are closely related to salience-based information processing in the brain (Lugrin et al, 2023;Seeley, 2019).…”

“Unvoluntary” Movement Disorders: Distinguishing between Tics, Akathisia, Restless Legs, and Stereotypies

“…4 Tics like tapping, touching, grooming, or others associate with a “compulsive” need to be repeated in a certain way until these feel “just right.” 2 5 Patients with tics may manifest somatic hypersensitivity, 6 likely related to altered sensorimotor integration. 7 Misophonia (i.e., excessive anger or disgust from specific sounds) may trigger tics and emotional dysregulation. 8 9…”