260422-Tachibana-Tics-Illustration (IMAGE)
Caption
A schematic of the finding. Researchers of the field have come to understand that there is a circuit in the brain’s motor control center that causes the motor tics when malfunctioning (top left). Tachibana and his team now report the discovery of a neuronal connection between the motor center via an intermediary thalamic relay station to the insular cortex (top right). This is the result of a study in mice in which tics were induced by the injection of bicuculline, an inhibitor of a specific class of receptors on neurons (bottom left). Inhibiting this connection reduced motor tics as well as tic-associated activities in the motor center and insular cortex (bottom right).
Credit
H. Kuno et al., Cell Reports 2026 (DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117272)
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY