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The natural history of Tourette syndrome: A follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Erenberg Gerald,
Cruse Robert P.,
David Rothner A.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410220317
Subject(s) - tourette syndrome , tics , natural history , psychiatry , psychology , coping (psychology) , pediatrics , medicine , young adult , clinical psychology , developmental psychology
Initial reports described Tourette syndrome as a lifelong disorder. Since then, others have noted that some patients experience remissions during late adolescence. To examine this issue, we sent questionnaires to 99 patients with Tourette syndrome who were 15 to 25 years old. The majority of the 58 respondents indicated that they had fewer tics as they reached late adolescence or young adulthood. Although most reported associated behaviour or learning problems, the majority felt they were coping well. The long‐term outcome in many patients with Tourette syndrome may be more optimistic than previously reported.