Replication of association between a SLITRK1 haplotype and Tourette Syndrome in a large sample of families

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder of complex etiological background, with multiple genes interacting with environmental factors to lead to the onset of symptoms. Although multiple genetic loci have been implicated in TS etiology, to date, no single chromosomal region has been consistently replicated as a TS susceptibility region. The implication of a member of the SLIT and TRK family of proteins (SLITRK1) in TS etiology2 has spurred intense debate, with the significance of the original findings being questioned, and multiple studies suggesting that, if this gene is indeed involved in TS etiology, it may only account for a very small fraction of cases.