An Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Tic Disorders: Effect on Comorbid Symptoms
Kiran Kaur1, W Alan Brown2, Susanne Hoeppner1
1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Tics (MBIT) significantly reduced obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to PRST. Further trials are needed to confirm these findings for tic disorder comorbidities.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Mindfulness-based interventions show potential for reducing tic severity.
- Limited research exists on the impact of these interventions on comorbid symptoms in tic disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess secondary outcomes of a pilot randomized controlled trial.
- To compare Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Tics (MBIT) against psychoeducation, relaxation, and supportive therapy (PRST).
Main Methods:
- 28 adults with Tourette's syndrome or persistent tic disorder were randomized.
- Participants received either MBIT or PRST.
- Measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, ADHD, depression, anxiety, stress, and functional impairment were collected at baseline, posttreatment, and 1- and 6-month follow-ups.
Main Results:
- A significant group-by-time interaction was observed for OC symptoms, with MBIT showing greater reduction than PRST posttreatment.
- No significant interactions were found for other outcomes at posttreatment.
- Follow-up outcomes at 1 and 6 months were reported descriptively.
Conclusions:
- MBIT demonstrated superior reduction in OC symptoms compared to PRST.
- Larger clinical trials are recommended to validate these preliminary results.
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