Clinical Profile of Tic Disorders in Children and Adolescents from a Tertiary Care Center in India

BACKGROUND: Tic disorders (TDs) are common neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. To date, there is very scant literature on TDs in children and adolescents in the Indian setting. AIM: The objectives of this study were to characterize the clinical profile, including comorbidities and pattern of medication use in the treatment of TDs, in children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a retrospective chart review of children and adolescents up to age 18 years diagnosed with TD in a tertiary care center in India. Data were derived from case records of patients with a diagnosis of TD, coded as F 95 according to ICD 10, from 1(st) January 2014 to 31(st) December 2017. RESULTS: We recruited 85 subjects. The majority (95.29%, n = 81) of them were male, and the mean age of onset was 8.4 years. Chronic tic disorder was the most common subtype, followed by Tourette syndrome and provisional or transient tic disorder. Eighty patients (94%) had a comorbid disorder, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder being the most common, followed by obsessive compulsive disorder. Eighty-two percent of patients received pharmacotherapy. Risperidone was the most frequently used medication, followed by clonidine, haloperidol, and aripiprazole. Moderate to significant improvement with medications was seen in 88% of the patients. CONCLUSION: The present study of children and adolescents with TDs highlights very high rate of comorbidity and a favorable short-term course with medication use.