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BackgroundTourette’s disorder (TD) is a chronic childhood-onset disorder characterized by the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics. Despite strong evidence that the pathophysiology of TD involves structural and functional disturbances of the basal ganglia and cortical frontal areas, in vivo imaging studies have produced conflicting results. Recent developments in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology have enabled noninvasive assessment of brain function in people with psychiatric disorders.MethodsWe asked 10 individuals with pediatric TD and 10 healthy controls who were age- and sex- matched to perform the Stroop color-word task during NIRS. We used prefrontal probes and a 24-channel NIRS machine to measure the relative concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) every 0.1 s during the task.ResultsWe found that oxy-Hb changes in the prefrontal cortex were significantly smaller in the TD group compared with the control group, especially in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.ConclusionsOur data suggest that individuals with pediatric TD have a reduced prefrontal hemodynamic response as measured by NIRS.

Aim: Atomoxetine, approved in Japan for the treatment of pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in April 2009, is a nonstimulant that is thought to act presynaptically via the inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive optical tool that can be used to study oxygenation and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex. The present study examined the effects of a clinical dose of atomoxetine on changes in prefrontal hemodynamic activity in children with ADHD, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy using the Stroop Color-Word Task.Methods: Ten children with ADHD participated in the present study. We used 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the relative concentrations of oxyhemoglobin in the frontal lobes of participants in the drug-naïve condition and those who had received atomoxetine for 8 weeks. Measurements were conducted every 0.1 s during the Stroop Color-Word Task. We used the ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version (Home Version) to evaluate ADHD symptoms. Results:We found a significant decrease in ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version scores, from 30.7 to 22.6 (P = 0.003). During the Stroop Color-Word Task, we found significantly higher levels of oxyhemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex of participants in the atomoxetine condition compared with those in the drug-naïve condition.Conclusions: This increase in oxyhemoglobin changes might indicate an intensified prefrontal hemodynamic response induced by atomoxetine. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a sensitive tool for measuring the pharmacological effects of atomoxetine in children with ADHD.

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