Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder affecting up to one per cent of the population, is characterised by sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics.
Some examples are eye darting, head jerking, shoulder shrugging, nose twitching and vocalisations such as throat clearing, grunts or swear words.
Where symptoms are mild, treatment may not be needed but severe cases can disrupt daily activities, social interactions, school or work performance or cause pain or injury.
A pilot study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Movement Disorders Clinical Practice and conducted by researchers at Western Australia’s Perron Institute investigated the effectiveness of a novel behavioural intervention to reduce symptoms.
“Medical therapy for Tourette syndrome is available but has significant side effects, hence the need for other treatment options,” said Movement Disorders Specialist at the Perron Institute Clinic and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Senior Author on the paper, Clinical Associate Professor Rick Stell.
Perron Institute Research Psychologist Jennifer (Jenny) Eisenhauer said, “Behavioural treatments serve an important role, with European clinical guidelines recommending them as a first line intervention as it is more effective than medication and has no side effects.”
“The approach taken in our study combined elements of Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), a well-known and effective behavioural intervention known to improve tic symptoms, with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an acceptance and mindfulness-based psychological intervention. Combining these two existing therapies is novel and has only been investigated in one other study.
“Before the onset of motion or vocal tics, Tourette syndrome sufferers often experience an uncomfortable bodily sensation (premonitory urge) such as an itch, a tingle or tension. Expression of the tic brings relief.
“ACT can complement HRT by addressing these urges and sensations.
“In our pilot study involving 11 participants recruited through outpatient neurology clinics in Perth, we found that the HRT + ACT intervention effectively reduced tic severity among participants, with benefits lasting 12 months.
“These results support the value of further work to compare the effectiveness of HRT + ACT with HRT alone. The study will provide data for a future randomised controlled trial,” Jennifer Eisenhauer said.
Consultant Neurologist Dr Alison Buckland and statistician Dr Stuart Watson also contributed to the paper.