Incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Youths Affected by Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Based on Data from a Large Single Italian Clinical Cohort

Abstract

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are etiologically related neurodevelopmental disorders with an onset age before 18 years and a reported comorbidity of 2.9–20%. The aim of the present study was to identify the incidence of ASD in a large clinical sample of individuals affected by GTS and to compare our results with previously reported incidences. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data (n = 1200) from January 2010 to March 2019 obtained from the outpatient Catania Tourette Clinic, part of the Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry of the Medical and Experimental Department of Catania University. We used internationally validated evaluation tools. The neuropsychological evaluation was carried out by an expert and a certificated team of child and adolescent neurologists, supervised by two expert child neurologists (R.R. and M.G.). We investigated 975 GTS-affected individuals of various socioeconomic levels aged 5–18 years, and 8.9% (n = 87) were affected by ASD. The incidence of GTS with ASD was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in children than in adolescents. No statistically significant differences were found in the sex distribution and age of onset of tics between individuals with GTS alone and those with GTS and ASD. The incidence of GTS and ASD comorbidity in this study was high, and this has several implications in terms of treatment and prognosis.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Videoconference vs. Face-to-Face Delivery of Behavior Therapy for Youths With Tourette Syndrome in the Time of COVID-19

“…The prevalence was even estimated to be 0.3–1% ( 2 , 3 ), TS is more common in boys than in girls with a male-to-female ratio of 3–4/1 ( 4 ). Only 10–15% of individual patients with TS have tics only (pure TS) while the remaining patient population manifests comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive behaviors/obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCB/OCD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), learning disabilities (LD), or other psychopathologies such as conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety disorders (AD) and depression ( 5 , 6 ). Tics and co-occurring conditions are associated with functional impairment and contribute to decreases quality of life ( 7 , 8 ).…”

Sensory phenomena in children with Tourette syndrome or autism spectrum disorder

“…TS and ASD frequently co-occur and both present similar clinical and behavioural features ( 12 ). The reported prevalence of comorbid ASD in subject affected by TS is variable, ranging from 2.9% to 20% ( 13 – 15 ). Abnormalities in corticostriatal circuits are common in both disorders, that are etiologically related ( 16 No more studies have explored the differences between SP in TS and ASD.…”

Use of Nutritional Supplements Based on L-Theanine and Vitamin B6 in Children with Tourette Syndrome, with Anxiety Disorders: A Pilot Study

“…Co-occurring disorders of attention, impulse control and mood are common, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) [4][5][6]. Other comorbidities observed in TS patients include anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disorders, sleep disorders [7][8][9].…”