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Differentiating tic-related from non-tic-related impairment in children with persistent tic disorders
Jordan T Stiede1, Jennifer R Alexander1, Brianna Wellen2
1Marquette University, 604 N. 16th St., Milwaukee, WI 53233, United States of America.
Insights
Parents find non-tic issues more impactful at home for children with persistent (chronic) tic disorders (PTDs). Tic severity, particularly motor tic complexity, correlates with overall impairment in children with PTDs.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neurology
- Developmental Disorders
Background:
- Persistent (chronic) tic disorders (PTDs) often co-occur with other conditions, complicating the assessment of functional impairment.
- Differentiating impairment caused by tics versus other co-occurring issues is crucial for effective treatment in children with PTDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine parental attributions of impairment in children with PTDs across home, school, and social domains.
- To differentiate impairment related to tics versus non-tic concerns.
- To explore the relationship between tic severity and perceived impairment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Child Tourette's Syndrome Impairment Scale - Parent Report (CTIM-P) in a sample of 58 children with PTD.
- Assessed parental perceptions of impairment attributed to tics versus non-tic concerns in home, school, and social settings.
- Employed the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) to correlate tic severity with impairment.
Main Results:
- Impairment in school and social activities was not differentially attributed to tics or non-tic concerns.
- Impairment in home activities was more attributed to non-tic concerns than tics.
- Tic severity significantly correlated with impairment across all domains, most strongly with motor tic complexity.
Conclusions:
- Distinguishing tic-related from non-tic-related impairment is clinically valuable for children with PTDs.
- Targeted treatments addressing specific impairment sources may improve outcomes for children with PTDs.
- Parental perception of impairment sources can inform clinical assessment and intervention strategies.
Abstract:
Children with persistent (chronic) tic disorders (PTDs) experience impairment across multiple domains of functioning, but given high rates of other non-tic-related conditions, it is often difficult to differentiate the extent to which such impairment is related to tics or to other problems. The current study used the Child Tourette's Syndrome Impairment Scale - Parent Report (CTIM-P) to examine parents' attributions of their child's impairment in home, school, and social domains in a sample of 58 children with PTD. Each domain was rated on the extent to which the parents perceived that impairment was related to tics versus non-tic-related concerns. In addition, the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) was used to explore the relationship between tic-related impairment and tic severity. Results showed impairment in school and social activities was not differentially attributed to tics versus non-tic-related impairment, but impairment in home activities was attributed more to non-tic-related concerns than tics themselves. Moreover, tic severity was significantly correlated with tic-related impairment in home, school, and social activities, and when the dimensions of tic severity were explored, impairment correlated most strongly with motor tic complexity. Results suggest that differentiating tic-related from non-tic-related impairment may be clinically beneficial and could lead to treatments that more effectively target problems experienced by children with PTDs.
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