Anchor: Vocal tic disorder has been considered virtually incurable with its causes remaining unknown. An international collaboration between the Korean Brain Research Institute(KBRI) and Japanese organizations has discovered for the first time in the world that a particular part of the brain is involved in the occurrence of the disorder. The finding is expected to provide a breakthrough in treating the condition.
Our Mina Cha explains.

Report: Vocal tic is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by involuntary, sudden and recurrent vocalizations.
 
It is mostly common among children. In many cases, the tic naturally disappears over the course of a child's growth. For some patients, however, the symptom can develop into Tourette's syndrome.

As of now, there is no effective medical treatment for vocal tic with its causes remaining unknown, but South Korean and Japanese scientists found a breakthrough.
 
Led by Dr. Kevin McCairn of the Korean Brain Research Institute(KBRI), the collaboration discovered for the first time that a cerebral region called the nucleus accumbens is responsible for vocal tic disorder.
 
Dr. McCairn, who joined the institute in 2013, explains that his team confirmed the finding through a test on monkeys, which have a similar brain structure to humans.
 
[Sound bite: Dr. Kevin McCairn - Chief researcher, Korea Brain Research Institute (English)]
“ …depending on that, we can then decide where we would put the stimulator exactly, and it’s the precise location that’s the important factor in treating the disorder.”
  
Located deep inside the cerebrum, the nucleus accumbens plays a significant role in controlling emotions and feelings. 

The team expects that the research result will help develop medicines and surgery methods to treat vocal tic disorder.
 
The study was conducted as a joint project with foreign academic agencies, including Japan’s Kyoto University and the RIKEN Brain Science Institute.
 
The finding was published in the online edition of the international academic journal Neuron.
Mina Cha, KBS World Radio News.