Tics and Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome: A Follow-up Study and Critical Review

Abstract

The clinical findings in 180 tiqueurs are described, together with a follow-up study of eighty-nine in whom the tics were the primary symptom. Clinically, tics were found to be associated with symptoms described as habit disorders, while on follow-up the vast majority of patients were fully or partially recovered from their tics, but showed an increased incidence of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Two-thirds of all those followed up for eight years or more were fully recovered from their tics, and the outcome was particularly favourable when the age of onset of the tics was between 6 and 8 years. The implications of these and other findings are discussed in relation to four descriptive models of the tic syndrome.