Last week I gave a talk to TTAG, an international federation of support groups for Tourette syndrome. They asked me to reprise my talk from last summer on advances in tic-related research from the previous year. The slides from this presentation are now available for free here: Black KJ. Tourette highlights from 2022 [version 1; […]
Category: Treatment
Clinical guide to functional tic-like symptoms
This press release is from the University of Florida, home to first author Dr. Irene Malaty. The senior author, Dr. Black, is from here at Washington University. The article is free to read online and has been seen by over 600 people. Here’s a brief summary in lay terms.
How many people would be interested in a commercial tic treatment device?
Neurotherapeutics Solutions Ltd., a start-up from our colleagues at the University of Nottingham (U.K.), is developing a wristwatch-like device for treating tics. Potential investors, however, tend to think that Tourette only affects kids, that only people with severe tics would want to buy such a device, and so on, so they figure the market would […]
A new treatment for TS (kind of)
Here’s a press release from the UK national health authority describing very positive interim results of the ORBIT study in England. It provides the best evidence yet for the efficacy of a behavior therapy called exposure and response prevention (ERP) for tics. ERP has been around for a long time, and is still a first-line […]
Cannabidiol and the DEA
The US FDA approved Epidiolex® (cannabidiol, or CBD) for certain seizure syndromes in June, 2018, and in November, 2018, the DEA rescheduled it as a Schedule V controlled substance (the least restrictive). This will greatly facilitate clinical use and clinical trials of CBD in the U.S. Note that there is little evidence at this point […]
Can median nerve stimulation reduce tics?
A fascinating publication from the University of Nottingham describes a non-invasive method that may reduce tics. The idea is that rhythmic input to a brain region can entrain that region to fire in synchrony with the input, and some rhythmic firing patterns seem to inhibit movement. The stimulation was delivered by generating a small electrical […]
Disappointing results from VMAT2 inhibitors
Teva Pharmaceuticals recently announced that in a couple of studies, deutetrabenazine did not prove statistically superior to placebo for treatment of Tourette syndrome in youth.* This honestly comes as a big surprise to me (and of course to the sponsor). Although without controlled trial evidence, its parent drug tetrabenazine had been used for tics for […]
TAA statement on PANDAS
The Tourette Association of America’s PANDAS/PANS Workgroup has issued a public statement about PANDAS. It succinctly summarizes the current state of evidence about this controversial diagnosis. A recommended read for anyone interested.
Tic Talk 2020 initial survey results
Below is a brief summary of the results from the first 21 people to take the survey. If you haven’t already responded, we’d love your input to help us design Tic Talk 2020 by taking this short 5-question survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8XT6Z7K Topics you are interested in: Tics and school: 76% How psychological factors or situations influence tics: […]
Help us plan content for Tic Talk 2020
Tic Talk 2020 is on! Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Wash. U. School of Medicine. We want to hear from you about what topics we should cover. Please take this short 5-question survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8XT6Z7K Thank you!
Safety of antipsychotic medications
A new publication reports on antipsychotic medications in people with schizophrenia. Of course schizophrenia is very different from tic disorders. Nevertheless, the medications best proven to reduce tic severity are also used as antipsychotics. In both populations concerns arise about the long-term impacts of physical side effects of antipsychotics, especially with regards to obesity and […]
“I’ve found the answer to TS,” or why science isn’t faster
Recently someone with TS wrote me to say that he had discovered a trigger for tics and a potential treatment that might apply to others. I applaud his careful observations and willingness to share. But how can we move this observation forward? After all, numerous potential cures to TS have been proposed, ranging from antibiotics […]
Treating tics: an overview
What can I do for my child with tics? The first question is whether s/he needs treatment. Most children probably don’t. All of our current treatments just reduce the symptoms. A key question is, are the tics really interfering (now) with schoolwork or friendship, or interfering with other students’ learning? If so, then that’s a […]