Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome Program

Research & Innovation

At Boston Children’s Hospital, we’re conducting research that aims to help provide a better understanding of the causes of tic disorders and develop new treatments.

Studies enrolling participants

Characterizing the microbiome in children with tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder

We are conducting a research study to advance our understanding of the gut-brain connection in children with obsessive-compulsive disorders and tic disorders. In this study, participants will be asked to provide a stool sample. A parent/guardian will also complete questionnaires online via a HIPAA-compliant platform.

This study is conducted at Boston Children’s Hospital, but you can participate from home.

To qualify for this research study, you must

Be between the ages of 6 and 17
Have a chronic tic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or be healthy with no known developmental conditions

Compensation of a $30 debit card is eligible upon completion of all study activities.

To learn more, please contact Ineke Cordova at BCHTicsOCD@childrens.harvard.edu.

Past studies

Effect of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic tic disorders

The purpose of this study was to understand the subjective impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with chronic tic disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and to see whether their experiences differed based on tic and/or OCD diagnoses. Children and their parents were asked to complete a survey that included a combination of validated symptom-based scales, Likert scales, and open-ended questions. They were asked questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on symptom severity, home life, school, social relationships, use of screens, and overall mental health.

Recent publications

Katz, T. C., Khan, T. R., Chaponis, O., & Tomczak, K.K. (2025). Repetitive but Not Interchangeable: Similarities and Differences in the Repetitive Behaviors of Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourettic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 48(1),
165–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2024.09.002
Pringsheim, T., Deans, C., Anis, S., Bhatia, P., Black, K., Degirmenci, Y., Gilbert, D., Hartmann, A., Hull, M., Malaty, I., Martino, D., Escobar, A. M., Mir, P., Nilles, C., Sarchioto, M., Sammani Usman, J., Sarva, H., Smilowksa, K., Szejko, N., Tomczak, K. … Worbe, Y . (2025). Complementary and Integrative Medicine for the Treatment of Tourette's Syndrome. Movement disorders clinical practice, 10.1002/mdc3.70464.
Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.70464
Raffaele, G., Malik, O., Anderson, S., Corcoran, L., Hartmann, A., Martino, D., Mol Debes, N., Müller-Vahl, K. R., Nilles, C., Pringsheim, T., Sopena, S., Szejko, N., Tasmin, O., Tomczak, K. K., & Hedderly, T. (2025). Tic-Talk: Voices on Tourette's Labelling. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 12(7), 917–921. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.70110
Sarchioto, M., Frey, J., Ganos, C., Gilbert, D. L., Hartmann, A., Hedderly, T., Isaacs, D., Malaty, I., Martindale, J. M., Medina Escobar, A., Müller-Vahl, K. R., Okun, M.S., Parnes, M., Sarva, H., Śmilowska, K., Szejko, N., Tomczak, K., Worbe, Y., Pringsheim, T., Martino, D., … Tic Disorders Study Group of the International Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Society (2024). Diagnostic Criteria for Primary Tic Disorders: Time
for Reappraisal. Movement Disorders: Official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 39(8), 1276–1281. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.29868
Tomczak, K., Swindle, J., Dabbous, F., Karkanias, G., Atkinson, S., Munschauer, F. ... & Isaacs, D. (2025, April). High Rates of Discontinuation of D2 Receptor Antagonists as First-Line Treatment of Tourette Syndrome in Children: A Retrospective Database Analysis (P11-6.001). In Neurology (Vol. 104, No. 7_Supplement_1, p. 2549).
Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Tomczak, K.K., Worhach, J., Rich, M., Swearingen Ludolph, O., Eppling, S., Sideridis, G., & Katz, T. C. (2024). Time is ticking for TikTok tics: A retrospective follow-up study in the post-COVID-19 isolation era. Brain and Behavior, 14(3), e3451. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.3451

If you are interested in these articles or have additional questions, please contact bchticsocd@childrens.harvard.edu.

Our research team

Kinga Tomczak, MD, PhD: Program Director, Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome Program; Assistant in Neurology, Department of Neurology
Tamar Katz, MD, PhD: Assistant in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry
Jennifer Worhach: Clinical Research Project Manager, Department of Neurology
Ineke Cordova

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