Study of Brain Activity and Movement Patterns in People with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tourette Syndrome to Understand Repetitive Behaviors

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying repetitive behaviors such as tics in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome GTS and compulsions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD. The goal is to find specific brain activity and movement markers to clearly distinguish between tics and compulsions, which can be challenging but important for choosing the right treatment. This study involves patients with either OCD or GTS, including those with certain related conditions like depression, anxiety, or ADHD. The study involves two main parts. First, patients will undergo brain activity recordings using high-density and portable EEG devices while performing tasks that provoke their symptoms. They will also have an MRI scan to capture brain anatomy. Patients will mimic their symptoms while wearing a smartwatch accelerometer. In the second part, patients will use a portable EEG and smartwatch at home to record and tag their symptoms over time, continuing symptom tracking with the smartwatch for two weeks. Participants will be monitored through brain scans, symptom recordings, and clinical scales. The study will measure changes in brain activity before compulsions or tics and compare them between OCD and GTS groups. Researchers will also analyze how well the accelerometer detects symptoms and how this relates to clinical scores. The study lasts over a year, with ongoing data collection and analysis to better understand these repetitive behaviors.

Objective Characterizatoion of Repetitive Behaviors