Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by the presence of motor and vocal/phonic tics. Although GTS was initially believed to be a rare medical condition, the results of recent epidemiological studies have shown that 0.3%-1% of school age children fulfill current diagnostic criteria. As the presence of comorbid behavioral symptoms has been consistently documented in most patients, GTS is considered as a quintessentially neuropsychiatric condition at the interface between neurology (movement disorder) and psychiatry (behavioral condition). Specifically, frequent comorbidities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder often have a deeper impact on health-related quality of life than the tics themselves. The etiological mechanisms of tics and associated behavioral problems are still elusive and an increased focus on the role of both genetic and epigenetic factors, including chromatin regulation, can shed light on the pathophysiology and inform treatment approaches.
Selvini, C., Cavanna, S., Cavanna, A. (2019). Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. In Chromatin Signaling and Neurological Disorders (pp. 331-345). Elsevier [10.1016/B978-0-12-813796-3.00015-8].
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome
Cavanna A
2019
Abstract
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by the presence of motor and vocal/phonic tics. Although GTS was initially believed to be a rare medical condition, the results of recent epidemiological studies have shown that 0.3%-1% of school age children fulfill current diagnostic criteria. As the presence of comorbid behavioral symptoms has been consistently documented in most patients, GTS is considered as a quintessentially neuropsychiatric condition at the interface between neurology (movement disorder) and psychiatry (behavioral condition). Specifically, frequent comorbidities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder often have a deeper impact on health-related quality of life than the tics themselves. The etiological mechanisms of tics and associated behavioral problems are still elusive and an increased focus on the role of both genetic and epigenetic factors, including chromatin regulation, can shed light on the pathophysiology and inform treatment approaches.
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