Related Experiment Videos
[Exacerbation of tics by prednisolone]
T Dietl1, T Kümpfel, D Hinze-Selch
1Max-P anck-Institut für Psychiatrie, München.
Der Nervenarzt
|January 15, 1999
Summary
This study reports on two elderly patients whose previously subclinical tic disorders significantly worsened during treatment with glucocorticosteroids for other conditions. This highlights a potential link between corticosteroid therapy and tic exacerbation, warranting further investigation into the dopamine hypothesis of tics.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Tic disorders are hyperkinetic movement disorders typically emerging in childhood or adolescence.
- These disorders often improve in adulthood, with many cases becoming subclinical.
- Glucocorticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory drugs with known systemic effects.
Observation:
- Two elderly patients (53 and 68 years old) with previously unrecognized, subclinical tic disorders were observed.
- These patients were undergoing treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica and Graves disease with endocrine orbitopathy, respectively.
- Both patients experienced a notable exacerbation of their tics during glucocorticosteroid (prednisolone) therapy.
Findings:
- The exacerbation of tics led to the initial diagnosis and treatment of the tic disorder in both patients.
- This case series suggests a potential link between glucocorticosteroid use and the worsening of tic symptoms.
- The findings support further exploration of the dopamine hypothesis of tics in relation to corticosteroid-induced exacerbations.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider the potential for tic symptom exacerbation in patients treated with glucocorticosteroids, especially those with a history of or predisposition to tic disorders.
- This observation may necessitate closer monitoring of neurological symptoms during corticosteroid therapy.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which glucocorticosteroids influence tic disorders, potentially involving dopaminergic pathways.