The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok

Zea-Vera, Alonso; Bruce, Adrienne; Garris, Jordan; Tochen, Laura; Bhatia, Poonam; Lehman, Rebecca; Lopez, Wendi L.; Wu, Steve W.; Gilbert, Donald L.

doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.02.003

Cited by 39 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Zea Vera and colleagues carefully examined popular ‘Tourette’ TikTok videos with unusual symptoms and described a number of features of these videos that are highly unusual for TS. 46 These features include aggression (in 19% of these videos), self-injurious behaviors (28%), coprophenomena (over half), long phrases (more than three words, 46%), throwing objects (22%), and very strong influence by the environment (over half). Senior clinicians viewing these videos rated them on a Likert scale of one (“All the tics are typical of TS”) to five (“None of the tics are typical of TS”).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2021

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2021

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Two studies assessed the phenomenology of tic-like behavior on TikTok based on expert review. Both studies found a high degree of coprophenomena, context-dependence, aggression toward others, and self-injurious behavior ( 7 , 100 ). Tic-like behaviors were highly variable and nonstereotyped.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Rise of Functional Tic-Like Behaviors: What Do the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Media Have to Do With It? A Narrative Review

Martindale

Mink

2022

Front. Pediatr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThere has been a rise in explosive onset of tic-like behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, this is an uncommon phenomenology of functional movement disorders across all ages. Both the psychological burden of the pandemic and social media usage have been implicated in the rise of these tic-like behaviors.MethodsThis paper provides a narrative review of the literature on chronic tic disorders, functional tics, and mass functional illness with particular focus on the key distinguishing features, role of social media, and the role of COVID-19.ResultsThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the mental health of many individuals, including children, adolescents, and their caregivers. Implementation of lockdowns, lifestyle disruptions, school closures, and social distancing have driven a surge in social media and digital technology use. The combination of predisposing factors, the psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, and social media are implicated in the rise and spread of tic-like behaviors; which may represent a modern-day form of mass functional illness. While many of the features overlap with functional tics, there are emerging distinctive features that are important to recognize. A more encompassing term, Functional Tic-Like Behaviors, is used to better reflect multiple contributing factors.ConclusionKnowledge of these differences is essential to mitigate downstream health effects and poor outcomes.

show abstract

“…Anecdotal reports from clinicians indicate an increase in patients presenting with tics or tic-like symptoms since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and many attribute the increase to content labeled as TS on social media. Often, the symptoms on these social media sites do not represent classic Tourette’s syndrome symptomatology and instead are more consistent with a type of functional neurological disorder [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. While there is limited research on how the popularity of such videos on social media has impacted those with pre-existing diagnoses of Tourette’s syndrome or other chronic tic disorders, it is possible that exposure to such content may increase tics in this population as well.…”

Section: “Just the Facts Ma’am” What’s The Evidence About What Situat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Tic Severity Changes from Then to Now and from Here to There

Iverson

Black

2022

JCM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Much of the research regarding Tourette’s syndrome (TS) has focused on why certain individuals develop tics while others do not. However, a separate line of research focuses on the momentary influences that cause tics to increase or decrease in patients who are already known to have TS or another chronic tic disorder (CTD). Environmental and internal variables such as fatigue, anxiety, and certain types of thoughts all have been shown to worsen tic severity and may even overcome the positive effects of treatment. Other influences such as stress, distraction, and being observed have had mixed effects in the various studies that have examined them. Still, other variables such as social media exposure and dietary habits have received only minimal research attention and would benefit from additional study. Understanding the impact of these environmental and internal influences provides an opportunity to improve behavioral treatments for TS/CTD and to improve the lives of those living with these conditions. This review will examine the current literature on how these moment-to-moment influences impact tic expression in those with TS/CTD.

show abstract

The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok

Cited by 39 publications

References 37 publications

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2021

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2021

The Rise of Functional Tic-Like Behaviors: What Do the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Media Have to Do With It? A Narrative Review

Why Tic Severity Changes from Then to Now and from Here to There

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About