Information on a few upcoming studies in Europe can be found at EMTICS.eu. Among the members of the External Advisory Board is Dr. J. Leckman, who is also involved in the current NIMH IVIG study. Dr. Leckman also sits on the PANDAS Network.org Scientific Advisory Board.
From the Project Summary:
EMTICS will undertake pre-clinical and cohort studies that address susceptibility factors for paediatric and adolescent tic disorders, with a particular focus on comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, from clinical, epidemiological, genetic, microbiological and immunological angles. EMTICS aims to elucidate the complex aetiology of the onset and clinical course of chronic tic disorders and associated obsessive-compulsive symptoms, through disentangling the interplay between environmental factors and genetic background; translate research findings into clinical applications by developing disease prediction models and investigation of a treatment strategy; and will establish a Pan-European infrastructure for the study of tic disorders.
We hypothesise that the onset and/or exacerbation of tic and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorders is associated with increased preceding occurrence of Group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) infections of specific molecular subtypes, and that this association is based on genetic susceptibility factors and mediated through immunological mechanisms related to psychosocial stress and immunological factors in host and GAS strains. Large-scale cohort studies will involve affected patients and at-risk first-degree relatives within an integrated, multidisciplinary research strategy.
To read more on these studies, please visit the EMTICS website.
