Genetic link to Tourette syndrome identified

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and their colleagues have identified a gene, called SLITRK1, that is associated with some cases of Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder. The team used molecular methods to identify differences in the DNA of a child with Tourette syndrome who also had a chromosomal abnormality. A particular gene expressed in the brain attracted the researchers' attention. They then compared the gene they identified with a group of 174 individuals with the disorder and found SLITRK1 mutations in several. The researchers believe this discovery could provide an important clue in understanding the molecular mechanisms of Tourette syndrome. The research was published in the October 14, 2005, issue of Science.