Tics and Tourette’s syndrome
Quentin Spender, Judith Barnsley, Alison Davies, Jenny Murphy in Primary Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2019
Tics used to be thought of as a manifestation of anxiety. It is true that anxiety or tension may worsen tics, as may excitement or illness, but sometimes the need to maintain focus can instead serve to suppress them. Combinations of tics that do not quite add up to Tourette’s syndrome, or that have not lasted for the arbitrary period of one year, can be called a tic disorder. The mean age of onset of Tourette’s syndrome is seven years, usually with motor tics such as blinking. Tourette’s syndrome starts to improve in late adolescence or early adulthood, and in general continues to improve with age, although a few individuals continue to experience severe tics throughout their adult life. A newly learnt voluntary movement can become a tic; and tics can often be suppressed in novel or demanding environments, only to erupt in more relaxed circumstances.
Tic Disorders
William H. Reid, George U. Balis, James S. Wicoff, Jerry J. Tomasovic in The Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders, 2018
The treatment of the highly disabling disorder has been primarily symptomatic rather than curative. The likelihood of a lifelong course is terribly depressing to both family and child; many of the same dynamics develop that one sees in other disabling chronic illnesses such as diabetes, juvenile arthritis, and serious injuries. Treatment for the disorder is essentially the same as that for Tourette’s, in that it is considered part of a continuum of all tic disorders that last over one year. In addition to medication to suppress the tics, behavioral programming and supportive psychotherapy are recommended to deal with the impact the disease has on the school, social, and family life of the child. Treatment for this disorder is generally aimed at the reduction of stress in the child’s environment. The disorder should be monitored carefully for development of Tourette’s Disorder or Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder.
Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome
Cathy Laver-Bradbury, Margaret J.J. Thompson, Christopher Gale, Christine M. Hooper in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2021
Tic disorders are not necessarily associated with distress, and a lot of children who display tics in childhood appear to be tic-free in adulthood, irrespective of whether the tics were treated or not. The most important aspect of treating tics is therefore psychoeducation. Tics are highly heritable and commonly associated with ADHD, OCD and other disorders, which can cause distress. Patients with tics should therefore undergo a broad assessment. Tics are associated with changes in the basal ganglia, a structure that is responsible for appropriate action selection processes.
Aripiprazole can a Viable Choice for Persistant Suppression of Symptoms in Managing Chronic Tic Disorders and Tourette's Disorder Through the Life Span: A Case Series
Published in Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bülteni-Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2016
Sarper Taskiran, Ali Evren Tufan, Bengi Semerci
Tic disorders may cause impairment both by themselves and associated comorbidities. Medications for tic disorders are indicated when tics are moderate/severe causing severe impairment and in presence of comorbid disorders responsive to medications. Duration of improvement is still not known as the literature lacks prospective studies with a long follow-up period. This case series aims to report management of tic disorders with aripiprazole in patients with different ages. Here, we describe 8 cases with complex motor tic disorder or Tourette's Disorder in which aripiprazole was used. The ages of patients were varied, from 9 to 57 years. Mean follow-up was 19.6 weeks. Mean dose of aripiprazole for pediatric patients was 15.4 mg/ day while it was 12.5 mg/ day for adult patients. All patients benefited from treatment with aripiprazole in the long term. Our results should be supported with controlled studies.
The Impact of Tic Severity Dimensions on Impairment and Quality of Life Among Youth With Chronic Tic Disorders
Published in Children's Health Care, 2015
Joseph F. McGuire, Jennifer M. Park, Monica S. Wu, Adam B. Lewin, Tanya K. Murphy, Eric A. Storch
Varied findings exist concerning the relationship between global tic severity, impairment, and quality of life for youth with chronic tic disorders (TD). As global tic severity is comprised of multiple dimensions, specific dimensional aspects (e.g., tic severity type, tic number, tic frequency, tic intensity, tic complexity, tic interference) may impact impairment and quality of life by varying degrees. Twenty-four youth with TD completed an assessment of global tic severity, tic-related impairment, and quality of life. Findings suggest that motor tic severity significantly predicted clinician-rated impairment. Tic number, tic complexity, and tic interference significantly predicted parent-rated impairment. No dimensional aspects of tic severity predicted child-rated quality of life. Findings highlight that dimensional aspects of tic severity impact tic-related impairment distinctively. Clinical implications of these results are discussed.
The effect of shorter exposure versus prolonged exposure on treatment outcome in Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders – an open trial
Published in International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 2018
Jolande M. T. M. van de Griendt, Maarten K. van Dijk, Cara W. J. Verdellen, Marc J. P. M. Verbraak
Background: Exposure and response prevention has shown to be an effective strategy and is considered a first-line intervention in the behavioural treatment of tic disorders. Prior research demonstrated significant tic reduction after 12 two hour sessions. Objective: In this open trial, the question is addressed whether, relative to these prolonged sessions, exposure sessions of shorter duration yield differential outcome for patients with tic disorders. Methods: A total of 29 patients diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS) or chronic tic disorder were treated with shorter exposure sessions (1 h), and these data were compared to the data from a study about prolonged exposure (2 h, n = 21). Outcome was measured by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Results: Results suggest that after taking the difference in illness duration between the two groups into account, the effectiveness of shorter exposure sessions is not inferior to that of prolonged exposure. Conclusions: Results suggest that treatment with shorter exposure might be more efficient and more patients can be reached. Future research is needed to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of behavioural treatments for tics.
Related Knowledge Centers
- DSM
- IV
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Dopamine
- IV
- Movement Disorders
- Dyskinesias
- Tics