Children and Their Parent’s Perceptions of Symptom Severity and Treatment Preference for Tourette Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: This study surveys children and their parent’s perceptions, and their treatment preference of significant/bothersome symptoms in children with Tourette syndrome. METHODS: Thirty five children and adolescents who referred to an out-patient clinic of a Child Psychiatry Clinic were selected as subjects for this study. The children and their parents were interviewed about their perception of significant/bothersome symptoms of motor tics, vocal tics, learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, obsessions, compulsions, and rage attacks. RESULTS: About two thirds of the subjects had symptom of rage. Inattentiveness and hyperactivity were observed in more than half of the children. There was a statistically significant difference between parents and their children in frequency of motor tics and rage attacks. Children reported the necessity for controlling and management of these symptoms less than their parents. DISCUSSION: The rates of motor, vocal tics and rage attacks in the Iranian sample are similar to other studies. Rage attack is one of the most common significant/bothersome symptoms reported that should be treated. While motor tics were not rated among the most common features that should be treated in a study in Canada, it was the most common significant/bothersome symptom in Iran. Parents perceive motor tics and rage attacks as more significant/bothersome symptoms compared to children.