Researchers find links to genetics of an individual for those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette Syndrome

OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions that disrupt daily life. TS patients have motor and vocal tics which begin in childhood accompanied by OCD or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Researchers used the GCTA approach which allows simultaneous comparison of genetic variation across the entire genome. It also shows the disease heritability caused by rare and common variants. Using the same device, 1,500 individuals with OCD were compared with 5,500 controls. 1,500 TS patients were compared with 5,200 controls. Results show that “Despite the fact that we confirm there is shared genetic liability between these two disorders, we also show there are notable differences in the types of genetic variants that contribute to risk. TS appears to derive about 20 percent of genetic susceptibility from rare variants, while OCD appears to derive all of its susceptibility from variants that are quite common, which is something that has not been seen before."