Association of Epilepsy and Tourette Syndrome in Children

Abstract

Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as an important association with tic disorders and Tourette syndrome in children. Previous studies reported the overall prevalence of Tourette syndrome was around 1% in children. Epidemiological studies showed evidences of increased neuropsychiatric comorbidities of Tourette syndrome including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autistic spectrum disorder. The recent studies have demonstrated that increased risk of epilepsy in children with Tourette syndrome, and also increased risk of Tourette syndrome in epilepsy children. The genetic and clinical information refer to a common neurobiological basis for epilepsy and Tourette syndrome.