L'inhibition de l'imitation chez les enfants avec un syndrome de Tourette

Aperçu: G.M.

L'échopraxie, c'est-à-dire l'imitation ouverte et automatique des actions d'autres personnes, est fréquente chez les "patients" avec un diagnostic de syndrome de Gilles de la Tourette, de "trouble du spectre de l'autisme" et chez ceux qui ont des lésions frontales. 

Bien que les tâches de temps de réaction systématique aient confirmé une augmentation de l'imitation automatique dans les deux derniers groupes, les patients adultes avec un syndrome de Tourette semblent compenser les tendances d'imitation automatiques par un ralentissement général des temps de réponse.  

Les résultats suggèrent que les enfants atteints du syndrome de Tourette utilisent déjà des stratégies d'inhibition différentes ou supplémentaires par rapport aux enfants en bonne santé.

J Neuropsychol. 2017 Aug 12. doi: 10.1111/jnp.12132.

Imitation inhibition in children with Tourette syndrome

Brandt VC^1,2, Moczydlowski A³, Jonas M⁴, Boelmans K⁵, Bäumer T¹, Brass M⁶, Münchau A¹.

Author information

1

Department of Paediatric and Adult Movement Disorders and Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany.

2

Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, UK.

3

Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.

4

Department of Human Resources, Health and Social Affairs, University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany.

5

Department of Neurology, Julius-Maximilians-University, Würzburg, Germany.

6

Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Echopraxia, that is, the open and automatic imitation of other peoples' actions, is common in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and also those with frontal lobe lesions. While systematic reaction time tasks have confirmed increased automatic imitation in the latter two groups, adult patients with Tourette syndrome appear to compensate for automatic imitation tendencies by an overall slowing in response times. However, whether children with Tourette syndrome are already able to inhibit automatic imitation tendencies has not been investigated.

METHOD:

Fifteen children with Tourette syndrome and 15 healthy children (aged 7-12 years) performed an imitation inhibition paradigm. Participants were asked to respond to an auditory cue by lifting their index finger or their little finger. Participants were simultaneously presented with either compatible or incompatible visual stimuli.

RESULTS:

Overall responses in children with Tourette syndrome were slower than in healthy children. Although responses were faster in compatible than in incompatible trials in both groups, this 'interference effect' was smaller in children with Tourette syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with Tourette syndrome have a smaller interference effect than healthy children, indicating an enhanced ability to behaviourally control automatic imitation tendencies at the cost of reacting slower. The results suggest that children with Tourette syndrome already employ different or additional inhibition strategies compared to healthy children.

© 2017 The British Psychological Society.

PMID:28801946

DOI:10.1111/jnp.12132