{"id":1127,"date":"2014-04-28T12:49:46","date_gmt":"2014-04-28T12:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/?p=1127"},"modified":"2014-04-24T03:50:47","modified_gmt":"2014-04-24T03:50:47","slug":"evidence-based-treatments-for-tourettes-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/2014\/04\/28\/evidence-based-treatments-for-tourettes-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Evidence-based Treatments for Tourette’s Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is part of a series of guest posts on GPS by the graduate students in my\u00a0Psychopathology<\/a>\u00a0course during Spring 2014. As part of their work for the course, each student had to demonstrate mastery of the skill of \u201cEducating the Public about Mental Health.\u201d To that end, each student has to prepare two 1,000ish word posts on a particular class of mental disorders, with one of those focusing on evidence-based treatments for those disorders and the other focused on a particular myth or misunderstanding about mental illness.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Evidence-based Treatments for Tourette’s Syndrome by Bear Wilkerson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Tourette\u2019s Syndrome (TS, also called Tourette’s Disorder) is a tic disorder that is commonly (but inaccurately<\/a>) known as that \u201ccussing disease\u201d where people walk around blurting out obscenities involuntarily.\u00a0 Although this type of vocal tic (known as coprolalia) can exist, it is actually quite rare<\/a> as a symptom of Tourette\u2019s disorder, with perhaps 10-15% of those with TS displaying it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>So if it’s not just cussing and shit, what exactly is Tourette\u2019s?\u00a0 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention uses the APA\u2019s DSM-5 definition, which states that for a person to receive a diagnosis of TS they must have both motor and vocal tics that have been existent for longer than one year and began before the age of eighteen.\u00a0 These tics also cannot be the result of any medical conditions or due to any substances an individual is taking.\u00a0 The full definition can be found here<\/a>.\u00a0 TS differs from the other motor disorders because it requires the presence of both motor and vocal tics.<\/p>\n

Many treatment options exist for TS, but there are actually only a few evidence-based treatment options out there.\u00a0 These options include one type of treatment that mysteriously finds its way onto the \u201cevidence-based, effective treatments list\u201d time<\/a> and time<\/a> again across different mental disorders.\u00a0 What could this \u201cmiracle drug\u201d or snake-oil possibly be?\u00a0 Low and behold, it is something called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)! Who would have ever guessed that something as simple as training an individual to know when some type of maladaptive thinking is present and what to do could be successful? Hmmm, it is almost as if rational thought plays a key in adhering to society\u2019s mental health standards.<\/p>\n

CBT specifically designed for patients with motor disorders, like TS, is known as Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).\u00a0 Information and commonly asked questions about CBIT can be found\u00a0here<\/a>, but the basics are that\u00a0CBIT is centered around three major principles:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Training the patient to be aware of tics<\/li>\n
  2. Training patients to do competing behavior when they feel the urge to tic<\/li>\n
  3. Making changes in daily activities in ways that can be helpful in reducing tics.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    CBIT<\/a> has been shown to effectively reduce the number of tics an individual experiences but also tic-related impairment.\u00a0 In one study<\/a>, researchers recorded an average of an over 30% drop in number of tics exhibited by patients.\u00a0 This study also was the first study of its type to include children that were taking medication (roughly 38% of the participants).\u00a0 The results found in this study have numerous clinical implications.\u00a0 This study allowed for the expansion of available treatment options of motor-related disorders.\u00a0 This study also illustrated that CBIT can aid in the development of skills that raise self-efficacy and self-reliance, which in turn raises an individual\u2019s overall feelings of self-worth.\u00a0 Finally, this study shows the relevance of behavioral therapy which can be taught to many individuals whom otherwise may not qualify to administer other kinds of treatment.\u00a0<\/span>This really expands the number of persons available to treat those individuals suffering from motor disorders.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

    As mentioned before, this type of treatment can be administered by most individuals after just a couple training sessions.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, The Tourette\u2019s Syndrome Association’s\u00a0Behavior Therapy Institute<\/a><\/span>\u00a0provides programs and classes that teach people how to administer CBIT to individuals with motor disorders.\u00a0 The below video explains why CBIT works and how it is performed.<\/span><\/p>\n