Movement initiation and inhibition are impaired in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) features central and peripheral paresis owing to the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. Here, we asked whether motor preparation and inhibition are also affected. Thirteen ALS patients and thirteen matched controls participated in an event-related brain potentials (ERP) experiment in which a cue stimulus indicated whether the following target stimulus was to be responded to by the left or the right hand by a speeded button press.

Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder: event-related brain potentials show similar mechanisms [correction of mechansims] of frontal inhibition but dissimilar target evaluation processes.

Objectives: Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD) share many clinical similarities and show a strong comorbidity. Current theories view a frontal-striatal dysfunction as the underlying cause of many clinical aspects of both disorders. This study sought to investigate mechanisms of conceptual integration and attention in both disorders.

Excessive action monitoring in Tourette syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome (TS) has been related to hyperactive basal-ganglia thalamocortical pathways. This suggests that action monitoring might also be hyperactive. The present study used the event-related brain potential (ERP) technique to investigate this hypothesis.