banner of the TReC Study with green spots, tan and black lines, and a brain outline with a magnifying glass

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. 

The TReC Study is an in-person study at University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the University of California San Diego. For more information, please email [email protected] or complete a study interest form.

What is the goal of the TReC study?

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?

Your child may be eligible to participate if they:

  • 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 Does this Study Involve?

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)
timeline of the study components with icons and time estimates

Peek into our building:

MRI machine in a room with designs on the walls and a light blue light on the ceiling

This is the MRI machine in our building, The light on the ceiling changes colors and you get to pick which color you want the light to be during your scan!