New Brain Circuit May Explain Tourette's and OCD Overlap

Kobe University researchers mapped a thalamus-to-insular pathway linking the basal ganglia to the insular cortex in mice, a circuit that could explain why Tourette's tics overlap with OCD and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Blocking this thalamus-to-insular connection reduced tic-like movements, suggesting a potential target for less invasive treatments such as ultrasound neuromodulation, though results in humans are not yet established and deep brain stimulation remains a current option.