Medical and Surgical Treatments of Tourette Syndrome

Abstract

Tourette syndrome is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with a wide phenotypic spectrum, including tics and psychiatric comorbidities, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit disorder. Often considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, it is most prevalent during childhood and treatment strategies can vary according to degree of severity and patient-specific symptom manifestations. This review focuses on established and emerging management options for tics, including behavioral interventions and nonpharmacologic therapies, medication management, and promising surgical approaches.

Keywords: Alpha-2 agonists; Cognitive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT); Deep brain stimulation; Dopamine receptor blocking drugs; Tics; Tourette syndrome; Vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 inhibitors.