Tics are defined, rather vaguely, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) nosology as a recurrent, non-rhythmic series of movements (of a non-voluntary nature) in one or several muscle groups. Tics are usually divided into simple and complex tics of a motor, sensory, phonic or cognitive nature. In practice, simple tics have t...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES A possible relationship has been suggested between tic disorders and streptococcal infections. To understand the complex relationship between streptococcal infections and neuropsychiatric disorders in children the present study was done on colour Doppler echocardiography of patients with possible post-streptococcal tic disorders. METHODS The patients were 23 children (...

BACKGROUND Tic disorders have commonly occurring and well recognized comorbidities including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Shorter stature is not generally appreciated as an associated feature. METHODS Case reports and a literature review. RESULTS We describe four recently encountered patients with tics and shorter stature. The lite...

Sensory phenomena in tic disorders such as Tourette's syndrome are known but are substantiated by only a handful of studies. In this preliminary report, we studied premonitory urge, a type of sensory phenomenon in three patients of tic disorders. Bereitschaftspotential, a movement-related cognitive potential indicative of motor preparation, was assessed in these patients. As bereitschaftspotent...

BACKGROUND Premonitory urges are central to emerging behavioral models of chronic tic disorders (CTD). Urge reduction has been proposed as a behavioral explanation for tic maintenance and exacerbation as well as the efficacy of behavioral treatments. Prior investigations have produced inconsistent findings despite common methodologies. The current study evaluated the possibility that data aggre...

BACKGROUND While current research suggests that genetic factors confer the greatest risk for the development of tic disorders, studies of environmental factors are relatively few, with a lack of consistent risk factors across studies. Our aim is to analyze the association of tic disorders with exposure to prenatal and perinatal morbidity. METHODS This was a nested case-control study design. C...

Tourette syndrome (TS) and tic disorders represent events of familiar magnitude characterized by involuntary movements and/or vocalization. To determine the prevalence of TS/tic disorders we studied a sample of 762 subjects (388 M, 374 F), between 1992 and 1997, age 6 to 43 years old, taken out of a population of 10,155 subjects (4,918 M, 5,237 F; age: 3-56 years old). A structured 4-item quest...

Coprolalia in neuropsychiatry is typically associated with tic disorders, in particular Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. To date, there has been no report of functional coprolalia. Here, we provide the clinical characteristics of 13 adolescent and adult patients with coprolalic and other functional tic-like complex vocalizations who, on the basis of these symptoms, were misdiagnosed with a prima...

Introduction: Tics disorders and Tourette syndrome are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Currently, a vast number of behavioural, pharmacological and surgical treatments are available. Methods: Relevant and recent articles about clinical features, neurobiology and treatment of tic disorders and Tourette syndrome were reviewed and summarized. Results: Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome...