Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: Cross-cultural analysis and treatment outcome

The international prevalence, epidemiology, and clinical phenomenology of Tourette syndrome: A cross-cultural perspective

“…The finding of a strikingly similar pattern of clinical characteristics between the two samples is in keeping with the observation of other investigators about a consistent pattern across cultures [62,67,80] particularly regarding the male preponderance, the mean age at onset of around 6 years, as well as the site of the initial tic as located in the eyes and face area. Although the rate of coprolalia was higher in the UK cohort, the association found between coprolalia and severity of TS in this study suggests that the differences in the rate reported in earlier studies may at least be partly contributed by the differences in the severity of the condition and the source or setting of data collection.…”

“…Twenty-five years later, the international cohort study of 3500 TS patients by Freeman et al [59] observed similar findings with a male-to-female ratio of 4.3:1 and the mean age at onset of tics at 6.4 years. Similar to the findings of several studies, Abuzzahab and Anderson [62] noted that the most common motor tics involved the face (92%), followed by the arms (78%), and the common vocal tics included inarticulate utterances (65%), coprolalia (58%), and echolalia (23%). However, some minor symptom differences were also observed such as less echo phenomenon in the UK, fewer eye and neck tics, and more echokinesis in France, more eye tics in Italy, and more neck tics and coprolalia in the USA.…”

“…An international registry of patients from Europe and North America three decades ago [62] observed a 3:1 maleto-female ratio with an age at onset between 5 and 10 years. Twenty-five years later, the international cohort study of 3500 TS patients by Freeman et al [59] observed similar findings with a male-to-female ratio of 4.3:1 and the mean age at onset of tics at 6.4 years.…”

Case Report: Four Purported Cases of Methylphenidate-Induced Tic Exacerbation: Methodological and Clinical Doubts

“…These case reports underscore the importance of unbiased and accurate information about pretreatment status, symptom fluctuation over time, and response to medication in making appropriate clinical management decisions. It is advised that clinicians and researchers carefully evaluate apparent links between tic exacerbation and stimulant use in individual cases.Although early reports of stimulant drug therapy for tic disorders were not particularly encouraging (Abuzzahab and Anderson 1976, Shapiro et al 1988), it was not until the 1970s that the notion became well established that stimulants were contraindicated for the treatment of attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in child patients with tic disorder. This belief was based, in part, on reports that stimulant drugs could induce Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (TS) (e.g., Bremness and …”

“…Although early reports of stimulant drug therapy for tic disorders were not particularly encouraging (Abuzzahab and Anderson 1976, Shapiro et al 1988), it was not until the 1970s that the notion became well established that stimulants were contraindicated for the treatment of attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in child patients with tic disorder. This belief was based, in part, on reports that stimulant drugs could induce Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (TS) (e.g., Bremness and …”