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Gagnon M, Singer I, Morand-Beaulieu S, O'Connor KP, Gauthier B, Woods DW, Blanchet P, Lavoie ME, Leclerc JB. Sex Differences in Youth with Chronic Tic Disorder and Tourette Syndrome: Evaluation of Tic Severity, Psychological Profiles, and Quality of Life. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2477. [PMID: 38731007 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13092477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) and Chronic Tic Disorder (CT) are neurodevelopmental conditions involving motor and/or phonic tics. Youth with tics may encounter feelings of isolation, diminished self-esteem and quality of life, and academic difficulties. A growing body of scientific literature suggests sex differences in youth with tics, but findings have been mixed so far. Because symptom severity peaks around puberty, understanding sex differences in tic manifestations and associated symptoms during this critical period is essential. Therefore, we aimed to assess sex differences related to tic symptoms, action planning styles, quality of life, and externalizing/internalizing symptoms in youth with tics. Methods: Our sample consisted of 66 youths with tics (19 girls) aged 7-14 (mean = 10 years). Youths were assessed with clinical interviews, as well as self- and parent-reported inventories evaluating tic symptoms, psychological profiles, and quality of life. Results: While no differences in tic symptoms were found, girls exhibited lower functional inflexibility, reduced overall functional planning effectiveness, and higher impairment in the psychological well-being subscale than boys. Additionally, girls had reduced general life satisfaction and social self-esteem. Boys reported more explosive outbursts, higher levels of hyperactivity, and more difficulties with self-concept. Conclusions: Our analyses suggested differences in several manifestations associated with tics. This introduces new perspectives that refine our understanding of sex differences. A better understanding of sex differences in tic disorders may eventually improve outcomes for all individuals living with these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Méliza Gagnon
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS) du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
| | - Ilana Singer
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS) du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
| | - Simon Morand-Beaulieu
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS) du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
| | - Kieron P O'Connor
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Bruno Gauthier
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Douglas W Woods
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Pierre Blanchet
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Stomatology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marc E Lavoie
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Social Sciences, Literature and Communication, Université TÉLUQ, Montreal, QC G1K 9H6, Canada
| | - Julie B Leclerc
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS) du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC H1E 1A4, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
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Saia F, Prato A, Saccuzzo L, Madia F, Barone R, Fichera M, Rizzo R. Copy Number Variations in Children with Tourette Syndrome: Systematic Investigation in a Clinical Setting. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:500. [PMID: 36833427 PMCID: PMC9956985 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disturbance with heterogeneous and not completely known etiology. Clinical and molecular appraisal of affected patients is mandatory for outcome amelioration. The current study aimed to understand the molecular bases underpinning TS in a vast cohort of pediatric patients with TS. Molecular analyses included array-CGH analyses. The primary goal was to define the neurobehavioral phenotype of patients with or without pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs). Moreover, we compared the CNVs with CNVs described in the literature in neuropsychiatric disorders, including TS, to describe an effective clinical and molecular characterization of patients for prognostic purposes and for correctly taking charge. Moreover, this study showed that rare deletions and duplications focusing attention on significant genes for neurodevelopment had a statistically higher occurrence in children with tics and additional comorbidities. In our cohort, we determined an incidence of potentially causative CNVs of about 12%, in line with other literature studies. Clearly, further studies are needed to delineate the genetic background of patients with tic disorders in a superior way to elucidate the complex genetic architecture of these disorders, to describe the outcome, and to identify new possible therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Saia
- Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatric Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Catania University, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Adriana Prato
- Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatric Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Catania University, 95124 Catania, Italy
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
| | - Lucia Saccuzzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Medical Genetics, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Madia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Rita Barone
- Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatric Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Catania University, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Fichera
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Medical Genetics, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
- Research Unit of Rare Diseases and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | - Renata Rizzo
- Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatric Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Catania University, 95124 Catania, Italy
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Hagstrøm J, Spang KS, Vangkilde S, Maigaard K, Skov L, Pagsberg AK, Jepsen JRM, Plessen KJ. An observational study of emotion regulation in children with Tourette syndrome. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:790-797. [PMID: 33368244 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Explosive outbursts occur in 25%-70% of children with Tourette syndrome (TS) and may cause more distress than the tics themselves. Previous studies have indicated that a comorbid diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with emotional dysregulation in TS; however, this relationship has almost exclusively been studied using parent-reported questionnaires. METHODS We examined emotion regulation (ER) with an observational measure in 150 medication-naïve children aged 7-12 allocated to four groups: Forty-nine children with TS, 23 children with ADHD, 16 children with TS + ADHD, and 62 typically developing controls. We assessed participants' ER ability, as well as parent-child interactions in the context of a complex puzzle task, and coded the observed behavior with the Tangram Emotion Coding Manual (TEC-M). We examined group differences in ER, as well as associations between ER and severity of symptoms pertaining to TS and ADHD. RESULTS Children with TS did not differ from controls in their ER ability. However, children with ADHD and TS + ADHD had more problems with ER than those with TS only and controls. Finally, parents of children with ADHD displayed more tension during the experimental task. ER ability was not associated with tic severity nor premonitory urges; however, better ER ability was associated with less severe symptoms of ADHD. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to evaluate ER with an observational, clinician-rated measure in a controlled social setting in children with TS. Our findings support earlier questionnaire-based studies by showing impaired ER in children with TS + ADHD, but not in children with TS without comorbidity. These findings inform our understanding of the phenomenology of emotional dysregulation in TS and the role of comorbid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hagstrøm
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Katrine S Spang
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark.,Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katrine Maigaard
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Liselotte Skov
- Department of Paediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Anne Katrine Pagsberg
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark.,Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS) and Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kerstin Jessica Plessen
- Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark.,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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