Clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with treatment-refractory Tourette syndrome: An evidence-based survey in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition marked by tics, as well as a variety of psychiatric comorbidities, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and self-injurious behavior. TS might progress to treatment-refractory Tourette syndrome (TRTS) in some patients. However, there is no confirmed evidence in pediatric patients with TRTS. AIM: To investigate the clinical characteristics of TRTS in a Chinese pediatric sample. METHODS: A total of 126 pediatric patients aged 6-12 years with TS were identified, including 64 TRTS and 62 non-TRTS patients. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to assess these two groups and compared the difference between the TRTS and non-TRTS patients. RESULTS: = 0.02) subscale in the girls group. CONCLUSION: Pediatric TRTS might show an earlier age of onset age, longer duration of illness, lower IQ, higher premonitory urge, and higher comorbidities with ADHD-related symptoms and OCD-related symptoms. We need to pay more attention to the social communication deficits of TRTS.