Treatment of children and adolescents with tics and Tourette syndrome

Ties, patterned movements distinct from stereotypies, myoclonus, and other hyperldnetic movements, are quite common in children, particularly among those with developmental and psychiatric disorders. Thus, tics can indicate the presence of atypical neurodevelopment or broader difficulties with cognition or mood. Ties are also the cardinal feature of Tourette syndrome, a childhood-onset neurobehavioral disorder characterized by a chrortic inability to suppress or an urge to perform patterned, repetitive movements. Patients with Tourette syndrome most commonly have, in addition to tics, symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, obsessiveness, or anxiety. Achieving the most effective treatment of a child with tics is contingent on proper diagnosis of the movement disorder and thorough assessment for other problems, followed by consideration of both noripharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions for any and all symptoms interfering with the child's function and quality of life. This review focuses primarily on the diagnosis and medical treatment of tics in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome.