Emergence of motor and vocal tics during imipramine administration in two children

ABSTRACT Two children with major depression experienced the emergence of motor and vocal tics after 2-3 weeks on imipramine at doses of 75-100 mg daily. The tics did not show any sign of subsiding for 9-10 days following the discontinuation of imipramine, but subsequently responded to treatment with haloperidol. Case 1 involved an 8-year-old child with depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), other behavioral problems, and a history of a single febrile seizure. His family history was positive for tics, depression, anxiety, and seizures. He was found to have a toxic plasma level of the tricyclic antidepressant. Case 2 involved a 13-year-old child with depression, ADHD, behavioral problems, obsessive compulsive symptoms, intellectual deficit, developmental delays, grand mal seizures, and concomitant use of phenytoin. The child had previously developed tics while receiving methylphenidate. The family history was positive for tics, depression, obsessive compulsive symptoms, suicide, and alcohol abuse. The child had a subtherapeutic plasma level of the antidepressant. It is suggested that tricyclic antidepressants may precipitate tics consistent with the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome in genetically vulnerable children. Although this possibility has been suggested in the literature, these are the first two documented cases of this phenomenon. Speculating from these two cases, ADHD may be a risk factor for the appearance of imipramine-induced tic symptoms in depressed children.