Neurodegenerative Diseases

Andrea E. Cavanna, Cristiano Termine

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder consisting of multiple motor and one or more vocal/phonic tics. TS is increasingly recognized as a common neuropsychiatric disorder usually diagnosed in early childhood and comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders occur in approximately 90% of patients, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) being the most common ones. Moreover, a high prevalence of depression and personality disorders has been reported. Although the mainstream of tic management is represented by pharmacotherapy, different kinds of psychotherapy, along with neurosurgical interventions (especially deep brain stimulation, DBS) play a major role in the treatment of TS. The current diagnostic systems have dictated that TS is a unitary condition. However, recent studies have demonstrated that there may be more than one TS phenotype. In conclusion, it appears that TS probably should no longer be considered merely a motor disorder and, most importantly, that TS is no longer a unitary condition, as it was previously thought.