Thermal Sensitivity in Tourette Syndrome: Preliminary Report

Abstract

The effects of heat on tic symptoms were studied in a sample of 78 adults with Tourette syndrome. 62 men and 16 women completed a survey concerning the type, onset, and course of their tics. 10 adult male subjects also participated in a thermal challenge during which ambient temperature was raised from 22 degrees C to 35 degrees C following a control period. Of the 78, 24% or 19 reported increased tics upon exposure to heat. Compared to the remaining 59 subjects, there were no differences in sex distribution, current age, or overall course of illness. In the thermal challenge, there was general increase in tics that was correlated with sweat rate (r = .55, p = .001). This effect was prominent in 5 of 10 subjects (rs = .29 to .63). There were no mean differences in current age, age of onset, or current severity of symptoms between the five subjects of each group. Tic symptoms in a subgroup of patients with Tourette syndrome may be sensitive to heat. Abnormal heat regulation is not a likely explanation for the observed increase in tics. The increase may be due to normal heat-loss mechanisms through dopaminergic pathways.

Tic Frequency Decreases during Short-term Psychosocial Stress – An Experimental Study on Children with Tic Disorders

“…At first glance, these findings speak against previous suggestions that stress leads to a short-term increase of tic frequency ( 10 , 11 , 14 ). Our findings are also not fully in line with recent studies on the role of the autonomic nervous system in Tourette syndrome ( 29 ).…”

“…In addition to studies on tic fluctuations in a longer perspective, some studies focused on the effect of stress on tic frequency in a short-term perspective, i.e., in a specific situation. It has been shown that thermal stress leads to a marked situational increase of tic frequency ( 10 , 11 ). Using a specific interviewing technique, O’Connor et al ( 12 – 14 ) found that socializing was the situation in which tics appeared most likely.…”

The Modulating Role of Stress in the Onset and Course of Tourette’s Syndrome

“…They are, however, susceptible to retrospective bias. The studies by Wood et al (2003) and Scahill et al (2001) demonstrate that there can be some discordance between objective ratings of stress-associated increase of tic frequency (i.e., tic counts from videotape) and self-reports. In addition, in light of the study by Conelea et al (2011), it is questionable whether tic exacerbations, as described by the patients, result from an increased urge to tic or if they derive from increased difficulties in suppressing the tics.…”

Çocuk Ve Ergenlerde Tik Bozuklukları: Klinik Ve Etyolojik Bir Bakış / Tic Disorders In Children And Adolescents: A Clinical And Etiological View

“…Bir olgu serisinde, çevresel îsi degi §il<ligi ve vücut îsisi degi- §ikligi bazi hastalarda dklerin geçici olarak artmasiyla iliçkili bulunmu §tur (60). Tiklerdeki bu arti § hipotalamusta, dopamin ili §kili yolaklar vasitasiyla terlemedeki artiçla baglandi olarak yorumlanmiçur.…”