Chronic tic disorder (patient information)
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Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.
Synonyms and Keywords: Chronic vocal tic disorder
Overview
Chronic motor tic disorder involves quick, uncontrollable movements or vocal outbursts (but not both).
What are the symptoms of Chronic tic disorder?
- Symptoms include:
- Excessive blinking
- Grimaces of the face
- Quick movements of the arms, legs, or other areas
- Sounds (grunts, throat clearing, contractions of the abdomen or diaphragm)
- People can hold off these symptoms for a short period of time, but they feel a sense of relief when they carry out these movements. Patients typically describe them as responding to an inner urge and may have abnormal sensations in the area of the tic prior to the tic occurring.
- Tics may continue during all stages of sleep. They may get worse with:
What causes Chronic tic disorder?
- About 1 to 2% of the population has chronic motor tic disorder.
- The condition is more common than Tourette syndrome. However, it is not as common as transient tic disorder.
- Chronic tics may be forms of Tourette syndrome.
When to seek urgent medical care?
- There is usually no need to see the health care provider for a tic unless it is severe or disrupts your life.
- If you cannot tell whether your movements are a tic or something more serious (such as a seizure), call your health care provider.
Diagnosis
- The doctor can usually diagnose a tic during a physical examination. Tests are generally not needed.
- To be diagnosed with the disorder:
- You must have had the tics nearly every day for more than a year
- You have not had a tic-free period longer than 3 months
Treatment options
- Treatment depends on how bad the tics are and how the condition affects you.
- Medicines and psychotherapy are used only when the tics have a major impact on daily activities, such as school and job performance.
- Drugs used to treat tics include dopamine blockers, such as fluphenazine, haloperidol, pimozide and risperidone. These medicines can help control or reduce tics, but they have side effects such as movement disorders and cognitive dulling.
- Botulinium toxin injections is used to treat certain form of dystonic tics.
- In recent years, brain stimulation using permanently implanted electrodes in the brain has shown promising results.
Where to find medical care for Chronic tic disorder?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Chronic tic disorder
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
- Children who develop this disorder between ages 6 and 8 usually do very well. Symptoms may last 4 to 6 years, and then stop without treatment in early adolescence.
- When the disorder begins in older children and continues into the 20s, it may become a life-long condition
Possible complications
There are usually no complications.