TReC Study

Broad Overview

TReC (Tracking Responses to CBIT) is a treatment study for people aged 10-17 years who experience tics. All participants receive 8 sessions of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) from a trained therapist. CBIT is a standard therapy for Tourette that can help people learn skills to manage their tics. 

Study Goal

The goal of the TReC Study is to better understand CBIT therapy and tics. CBIT is a recommended treatment for tics, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Our research team wants to know more about how CBIT works for different individuals and which components of therapy can be most beneficial. We are also interested in knowing more about what is happening in the brain before, during, and after a tic. Our research team hopes that the TReC Study will help us understand how to better personalize CBIT therapy for youth with tics.

Who Can Participate?

You may be eligible to participate if you or your child:

• Are 10-17 years old

• Have current chronic motor and/or vocal tics for at least 1 year

• Are fluent in English

• Have had 4 or fewer CBIT sessions in the past

What is Involved in the TReC Study

All participants will receive CBIT. Treatment sessions take place weekly for about ten weeks. Participants will also complete interviews, surveys, two brain scans (MRIs) and two EEGs. MRIs are pictures of the brain and are noninvasive and painless. Participants will be compensated for their time. An EEG is a recording of brain signals using a noninvasive machine.

Pre-Treatment Visits

• Pre-assessment (~3 hour Zoom call, can be split into two visits)

• MRI scan (2 hours)

• EEG (1.5-2 hours)

Treatment Visits

• 8 weekly in-person CBIT sessions (1.25 hours)

Post-Treatment Visits

• MRI scan (2 hours)

• EEG (1.5-2 hours)

• Post-assessment (~1 hour Zoom call)

• 3-month follow-up (~1 hour Zoom call)

All participants will be compensated for their time.