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Social behavior and comorbidity in children with tics.
Tamara Pringsheim1, Tracy Hammer
1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Pediatric Neurology
|October 8, 2013
Summary
Children with tics and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show higher rates of ADHD and behavioral issues. Even without ASD, children with tics may exhibit autistic mannerisms, indicating social deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric neurology
- Child psychiatry
Background:
- Tics and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are distinct neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Co-occurrence of tics and ASD presents unique diagnostic and management challenges.
- Social behavior deficits are a core feature of ASD, but their presence in children with tics alone is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize children with coexisting tic disorders and ASD.
- To investigate social behavior deficits in children with tics, with or without comorbid ASD.
- To explore the impact of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on ASD symptoms in this population.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study evaluated 114 children referred for tics over 18 months.
- Parents completed the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Social Communications Questionnaire (SCQ).
- Children screening positive underwent further evaluation for ASD; logistic and linear regression explored ADHD's impact.
Main Results:
- Children with both tics and ASD had significantly higher rates of comorbid ADHD, rage attacks, and oppositional defiant disorder.
- Tic severity and treatment rates did not differ between groups.
- Children with tics but without ASD showed clinically significant scores for autistic mannerisms on the SRS; ADHD diagnosis significantly increased SRS scores.
Conclusions:
- Screening for ASD is recommended for children referred for tic assessment.
- A subset of children with tics exhibits social dysfunction and autistic mannerisms, even without a formal ASD diagnosis, often linked to other comorbidities like ADHD.
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