Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. Tics begin in childhood and wax and wane in severity over time. TS can be associated with considerable distress and with social, academic and vocational impairment. Once considered rare, TS is now known to occur in at least 1 in 200 children, while chronic motor tic disorder occurs in 2-3%. TS is highly heritable, though a specific causative gene has not yet been identified;certain environmental factors are also implicated in its etiology. This application requests funding for partial support of the 5th International Scientific Symposium on Tourette Syndrome, to be held June 12-13, 2009, in New York City. Together with the NINDS and NIMH the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) has co-sponsored the four previous International Scientific and Clinical Symposia on Tourette Syndrome (1981, 1991, 1999, and 2004 [also supported by ORD]). Not only have these symposia served as the central forum for updating basic and clinical researchers on current research and clinical findings, but the published proceedings from each meeting continue to serve as standard references in the field. For the 5th Symposium, the meeting plans have been completely redrawn in order to focus on new directions for future TS research and clinical care. The Symposium Co-chairs are Peter Hollenbeck PhD, Jonathan Mink MD PhD, and John Walkup MD, who (as is appropriate for this disorder) collectively represent basic science, child neurology (movement disorders) and child psychiatry. Convening the 5th Symposium in 2009 is both timely and important. Since the last symposium in 2004, TS scientific publications and TS research funding have increased substantially, and important advances have occurred in clinical management of this disorder. The new scientific findings are relevant both to the biological underpinnings of TS and to new and refined approaches to clinical care. The sponsoring organization, the TSA, has contributed greatly to the rapid advances in TS research and clinical care, and importantly, the dissemination of new information in these fields. For over two decades, the TSA has supported a very successful research award program. Since its inception in 1984 the TSA has funded 344 projects for a total of 4.2 million dollars. Many of the more recent research findings to be presented at the proposed Symposium are the direct result of past or current TSA funding as well as active facilitation of large collaborative research consortia in the fields of genetics, clinical trials, neuroimaging and the behavioral sciences. The TSA has always had a broad agenda for the dissemination of research findings. The 5th International Scientific and Clinical Symposium is part of that planned effort to identify current research advances, disseminate them among the scientific community, identify optimal directions for new research, and continue to encourage and when feasible scientifically, establish productive collaborative networks of basic and clinical scientists.
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NIH ExPorter