Inhibition, motor dexterity, and non-verbal memory in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: the impact of anxiety and depression.

CONTEXT: Adults with Tourette syndrome (TS) are more prone to depression and comorbid anxiety disorders than neurotypical individuals. Conflicting findings regarding their cognitive performance may stem from various factors, including comorbidities.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary goal is to assess patients' inhibition to interference, motor dexterity, nonverbal memory, and visuospatial functions, and to examine the impact of concomitant anxious-depressive symptoms that often accompany TS. It is hypothesized that individuals with TS who also have anxiety and depression symptoms will demonstrate significantly altered inhibition, motor dexterity, and visuospatial skills compared to both the neurotypical and non-comorbid clinical groups. We also propose identifying neuropsychological variables that best discriminate between comorbid and non-comorbid groups, as well as between these groups and neurotypical controls.

METHODS

We compared the neuropsychological profile of 128 participants divided into three groups: a TS+ clinical group with anxiety and depression comorbidities (n = 21), a TS- clinical group without significant comorbidity (n = 37), and a neurotypical control group (n = 70). Neuropsychological assessments included the Stroop Color-Word Test (inhibition), the Purdue pegboard (motor dexterity), and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figures (visuospatial functions and nonverbal memory).

RESULTS

No significant group differences emerged in interference inhibition. Both TS- and TS+ participants outperformed controls in fine motor dexterity tasks. However, only the TS+ group showed impairments in visuospatial functions and nonverbal memory.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that anxiety and depressive comorbidity in individuals with TS may specifically alter nonverbal memory and visuospatial functions.