Context Tourette disorder is a chronic and typically impairing childhood-onset neurological condition. Antipsychotic medications, the first-line treatments for moderate to severe tics, are often associated with adverse effects. Behavioral interventions, although promising, have not been evaluated in large-scale controlled trials. Objective To determine the efficacy of a comprehensive behavioral intervention for reducing tic severity in children and adolescents. Design, Setting, Participants Randomized, observer-blind, controlled trial of 126 youngsters recruited from December, 2004 through May, 2007 and aged 9–17 years with impairing Tourette or chronic tic disorder as primary diagnosis randomized to 8 sessions over 10 weeks of behavior therapy (n=61) or a control treatment consisting of supportive therapy and education (n=65). Responders received 3 monthly treatment booster sessions and were reassessed at 3- and 6-months post-treatment. Intervention Comprehensive behavioral intervention. Main Outcome Measures Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (range 0–40, score >15 indicating clinically significant tics), Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (range 1-very much improved to 8-very much worse). Results Behavioral intervention led to a significantly greater decrease on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (24.7; CI:23.1,26.3) to 17.1 CI:15.1,19.1) from baseline to endpoint compared to the control treatment (24.6 CI:23.2,26.0) to 21.1 CI:19.2,23.0) (P<.001; 95% CI for difference between groups: 6.2, 2.0); (effect size=0.68). Compared to children in control treatment, significantly more children receiving behavioral intervention were rated as “very much” or “much improved” on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (52.5% to 18.5%, respectively; P<0.001; number-needed-to-treat=3). Attrition was low (12/126 or 9.5%); tic worsening was reported by 4% of children (5/126). Treatment gains were durable with 87% of available responders to behavior therapy showing continued benefit 6 months post-treatment. Conclusions A comprehensive behavioral intervention, compared with supportive therapy and education, resulted in greater improvement in symptom severity among children with Tourette and chronic tic disorder.

ObjectiveTo make recommendations on the assessment and management of tics in people with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders. MethodsA multidisciplinary panel consisting of 9 physicians, 2 psychologists, and 2 patient representatives developed practice recommendations, integrating findings from a systematic review and following an Institute of Medicine-compliant process to ensure transparency and patient engagement. Recommendations were supported by structured rationales, integrating evidence from the systematic review, related evidence, principles of care, and inferences from evidence. ResultsForty-six recommendations were made regarding the assessment and management of tics in individuals with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders. These include counseling recommendations on the natural history of tic disorders, psychoeducation for teachers and peers, assessment for comorbid disorders, and periodic reassessment of the need for ongoing therapy. Treatment options should be individualized, and the choice should be the result of a collaborative decision among patient, caregiver, and clinician, during which the benefits and harms of individual treatments as well as the presence of comorbid disorders are considered. Treatment options include watchful waiting, the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics, and medication; recommendations are provided on how to offer and monitor these therapies. Recommendations on the assessment for and use of deep brain stimulation in adults with severe, treatment-refractory tics are provided as well as suggestions for future research.Glossary AAN = American Academy of Neurology; ADHD = attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; CBD = cannabidiol; CBIT = Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics; CBT = cognitive behavioral therapy; DBS = deep brain stimulation; DSM-5 = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition; EVID = evidence-based conclusions from the systematic review; HRT = habit reversal training; INFER = deductive inferences from other premises; OCD = obsessive-compulsive disorder; PRIN = generally accepted principles of care; RELA = strong evidence from related conditions; THC = δ-9tetrahydrocannabinol; TS = Tourette syndrome; VMAT2 = vesicular monoamine transporter type 2. Recommendation 3aClinicians should ensure an assessment for comorbid ADHD is performed in people with tics (Level B). Recommendation 3bClinicians should evaluate the burden of ADHD symptoms in people with tics (Level B). Recommendation 3cIn people with tics and functionally impairing ADHD, clinicians should ensure appropriate ADHD treatment is provided (Level B).Share your own best practices. Read commentary with expert opinion.Explore results on an interactive world map. NPub.org/NCP/practicecurrentNeurology ® Clinical Practice Now Accepting Applications for Emerging Leaders ProgramApplications are now open for the prestigious Emerging Leaders program, designed to identify, engage, and mentor talent among early-career members interested in future leadership ro...

Although motor tics and/or vocal tics are the defining features of chronic tic disorder (CTD) and Tourette syndrome (TS), older youths and adults often report their tics to be preceded by an unpleasant sensation or "premonitory urge." While premonitory urge phenomena may play an important role in behavioral interventions for CTD/TS, standardized assessments for premonitory urges do not exist. The current study of 42 youths with TS or CTD presents initial psychometric data for a new, brief self-report scale designed to measure tic-related premonitory urges. Results showed that the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS) was internally consistent (alpha = .81) and temporally stable at 1 (r = 0.79, p < .01) and 2 (r = 0.86, p < .01) weeks. PUTS scores were also correlated with overall tic severity as measured by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS; r = 0.31, p < .05) and the YGTSS number (r = 0.35, p < .05), complexity (r = 0.49, p < .01), and interference (r = 0.36, p < .05) subscales. Finally, an examination of the psychiatric correlates of the premonitory urge phenomenon yielded significant correlations between the PUTS and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) anxiety/depression (r = 0.33, p < .05), and withdrawal (r = 0.38, p < .05) subscales as well as the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS; r = 0.31, p < .05). However, a cross-sectional examination of the data showed that the psychometric properties of the PUTS were not acceptable for youths 10 years of age and younger. Likewise, significant correlations found between the YGTSS subscales, CBCL subscales, CYBOCS, and the PUTS did not emerge in this younger age group. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Context Tics in Tourette syndrome begin in childhood, peak in early adolescence, and often decline by early adulthood. However, some adult patients continue to have impairing tics. Medications for tics are often effective but can cause adverse effects. Behavior therapy may offer an alternative but has not been examined in a large-scale controlled trial in adults. Objective To test the efficacy of a comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics in adults with Tourette syndrome of at least moderate severity. Design A randomized, controlled trial with posttreatment evaluations at 3 and 6 months for positive responders. Setting Three outpatient research clinics. Subjects Subjects (N = 122; 78 males, age 16 to 69 years) with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder. Interventions Eight sessions of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics or 8 sessions of supportive treatment delivered over 10 weeks. Subjects showing a positive response were given 3 monthly booster sessions. Main Outcome Measures Total Tic score of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale and the Improvement scale of the Clinical Global Impression rated by a clinician blind to treatment assignment. Results Behavior therapy was associated with a significantly greater decrease on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (24.0 ± 6.47 to 17.8 ± 7.32) from baseline to endpoint compared to the control treatment (21.8 ± 6.59 to 19.3 ± 7.40) (P < .001; effect size = 0.57). Twenty-four of 63 subjects (38.1%) in CBIT were rated as Much Improved or Very Much Improved on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale compared to 6.8% (4 of 63) in the control group (P < .0001). Attrition was 13.9% with no difference across groups. Subjects in behavior therapy available for assessment at 6 months posttreatment showed continued benefit. Conclusions Comprehensive behavior therapy is a safe and effective intervention for adults with Tourette syndrome.

The unstructured abstract of 200 words maximum should summarize the main points of the article. All information mentioned in the abstract must be addressed somewhere in the main article. The abstract should not contain references or display item citations. Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS), a reasonably common disorder, has had a long, tortuous and somewhat controversial history. First and well described in the 18th century 1,2 , the main features of GTS have, however, remained fairly constant. The core diagnostic features are multiple motor and one or more vocal (phonic) tics lasting for over a year. In addition, almost pathognomic, but not necessary, features described in the early documentations include coprolalia (involuntary, inappropriate swearing), and echophenomena (copying behaviours), as well as many co-morbidities and psychopathologies 3 . Introduction [suggested 500 words, is 544 words -8 refs] Mary Robertson Thoughts for Mary -Your word count when combining sections 1 and 2 is 1001 (1000 limit)-so OKGTS was originally described in France and the majority of early literature came from and standardised schedules such as diagnostic confidence, measurement of severity, QoL, and assessment of both co-morbidities and co-existent psychopathologies are currently available.Large international collaborative consortia are engaged in studies exploring aetiological factors in particular, and some international treatment studies are also underway. Perhaps as a result of earlier small patient numbers, the treatment trials have given good clues to management, but unsurprisingly systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been hampered, giving disappointing, if not unexpected, results. Intriguingly medications from the typical NRDP -Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome 3 antipsychotic family including haloperidol, which first had documented success in 1961 6,7 are still being used, although successive generations of "atypicals" are currently more in vogue,as are medications such as alpha-2-adrenergic agonists. Interestingly, haloperidol remains the only medication prescribed on licence in many parts of the world. In contrast to disorders such as ADHD, in which it is clear which treatments work and which do not require further study 8 , a variety of treatment studies in GTS are still being undertaken, including using other medications (trying to improve efficacy and reduce side effects), behavioural therapies, deep brain stimulation (for refractory cases), and other more "alternative" methods such as "orthotics" (teeth braces). The GTS community has to first agree on how common GTS is and then seek funding for research in the areas of major importance.2. Epidemiology [suggested 500 words, is 444 words, 6 additional refs] Mary Robertson GTS was for many years thought to be not only very rare, but a bizarre curiosity, with sporadic case reports peppering the literature. The belief that GTS was uncommon at the very least was held by many until Comings 9 controversially suggested that GTS occurred in between 0.66% and...