Speechlessness in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome: Cannabis-Based Medicines Improve Severe Vocal Blocking Tics in Two Patients

Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Aug 10;18(8):1739. doi: 10.3390/ijms18081739.

Abstract

We report the cases of two young German male patients with treatment-resistant Tourette syndrome (TS), who suffer from incapacitating stuttering-like speech disfluencies caused by vocal blocking tics and palilalia. Case 1: a 19-year old patient received medical cannabis at a dose of 1 × 0.1 g cannabis daily. Case 2: a 16-year old patient initially received dronabinol at a maximum dose of 22.4-33.6 mg daily. Both treatments provided significant symptom improvement of vocal blocking tics as well as of comorbid conditions and were well tolerated. Thus, cannabis-based medicine appears to be effective in treatment-resistant TS patients with vocal blocking tics.

Keywords: Tourette syndrome; blocking tics; cannabis; dysfluency; nabiximols; tics.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / administration & dosage
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists / therapeutic use*
  • Dronabinol / administration & dosage
  • Dronabinol / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Marijuana / administration & dosage
  • Medical Marijuana / therapeutic use*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tics / complications
  • Tics / drug therapy*
  • Tics / pathology
  • Tourette Syndrome / complications
  • Tourette Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Tourette Syndrome / pathology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists
  • Medical Marijuana
  • Dronabinol