Functional tics: Expanding the phenotypes of functional movement disorders?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Functional tics were considered rare before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Functional movement disorders include conditions like functional tremor and dystonia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the demographic and clinical features of functional tics.
• To compare functional tics with other functional movement disorders.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of 110 patients at a neuropsychiatry center.
• Included 66 patients with functional tics and 44 with other functional movement disorders.

Main Results:

• Functional tics patients had a younger age of onset (21 vs. 39 years).
• Nearly half of functional tics patients reported social media exposure, unlike other groups.
• Both groups showed female preponderance and similar comorbidity profiles.

Conclusions:

• Functional tics during the pandemic represent a distinct phenotype.
• Younger age at onset and social media exposure are key features.
• Tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches are needed for this phenotype.