ABSTRACT

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder that primarily affects the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (CBGTC) circuitry and is characterized by motor and vocal tics. Previous studies have found enhancement in procedural memory, which depends on the CBGTC circuitry and plays an important role in the learning and processing of numerous motor, social, and cognitive skills and habits. Based on these studies, procedural hyperfunctioning in TS has been proposed. However, the neurocognitive mechanism underlying such hyperfunctioning is poorly understood. Here, we investigated how two aspects of procedural learning, namely 1) frequency-based statistical learning and 2) order-based sequence learning, are affected in TS. Twenty-one children with TS between the ages of ten and fifteen as well as 21 typically developing controls were tested on a probabilistic sequence learning task that enables the parallel assessment of these two aspects. We found that children with TS showed enhanced sensitivity to statistical information but impaired sequence learning compared to typically developing children. The deconstruction of procedural memory suggests that procedural hyperfunctioning in TS may be supported by enhanced sensitivity to statistical information. These results can provide a potential path for improving therapy methods and skill-oriented educational programs for TS.

摘要

图雷特综合征 (TS) 是一种儿童期神经发育障碍，主要影响皮质-基底节-丘脑-皮质 (CBGTC) 回路，以运动和声音抽搐为特征。先前的研究已经发现程序记忆的增强，这取决于 CBGTC 电路，并在许多运动、社交和认知技能和习惯的学习和处理中发挥重要作用。基于这些研究，已经提出了 TS 中的程序性功能亢进。然而，人们对这种功能亢进的神经认知机制知之甚少。在这里，我们研究了程序学习的两个方面，即 1）基于频率的统计学习和 2）基于顺序的序列学习，在 TS 中是如何受到影响的。21 名年龄在 10 到 15 岁之间的 TS 儿童以及 21 名典型的发育控制在概率序列学习任务中进行了测试，该任务能够对这两个方面进行并行评估。我们发现，与正常发育的儿童相比，患有 TS 的儿童对统计信息的敏感性增强，但序列学习受损。程序性记忆的解构表明 TS 中的程序性功能亢进可能受到对统计信息敏感性增强的支持。这些结果可以为改进 TS 的治疗方法和以技能为导向的教育计划提供一条潜在途径。我们发现，与正常发育的儿童相比，患有 TS 的儿童对统计信息的敏感性增强，但序列学习受损。程序性记忆的解构表明 TS 中的程序性功能亢进可能受到对统计信息敏感性增强的支持。这些结果可以为改进 TS 的治疗方法和以技能为导向的教育计划提供一条潜在途径。我们发现，与正常发育的儿童相比，患有 TS 的儿童对统计信息的敏感性增强，但序列学习受损。程序性记忆的解构表明 TS 中的程序性功能亢进可能受到对统计信息敏感性增强的支持。这些结果可以为改进 TS 的治疗方法和以技能为导向的教育计划提供一条潜在途径。