Content area
Full Text
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = Neurol Sci (2015) 36:16431649 DOI 10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = ORIGINAL ARTICLE
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10072-015-2223-0&domain=pdf
Web End = Tourette syndrome and socioeconomic status
Mark Aldred1 Andrea E. Cavanna1,2,3,4
Received: 22 March 2015 / Accepted: 15 April 2015 / Published online: 21 April 2015 Springer-Verlag Italia 2015
Abstract Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelop-mental disorder characterised by multiple motor and vocal tics. Co-morbid behavioural problems are common and include obsessivecompulsive disorder, attention-decit and hyperactivity disorder, depression and anxiety. Both tics and behavioural symptoms tend to have a chronic course and can affect patients health-related quality of life; however, little is known about the relationship between TS, social status and occupation. We conducted an exploratory study on a clinical sample of 137 adult patients with TS to investigate the association between the core features of TS (both tic severity ratings and behavioural co-morbidities) and socioeconomic class. Both clinician- and patient-reported tic severity ratings were signicantly higher amongst unemployed patients, compared to patients in the highest socioeconomic class (P = 0.004 and P \ 0.001, respectively). There were no signicant differences in socioeconomic class distribution between patients with TS and co-morbid behavioural problems (TS plus, n = 88) and patients with uncomplicated TS (pure TS, n = 49) (P = 0.205). Our ndings suggest that higher tic severity can have far-reaching consequences on patients life, as it
appears to be selectively associated with unemployment and lower socioeconomic status. These observations prompt further research into the complex relationship between TS and social status.
Keywords Behavioural co-morbidities Occupation
Tics Tourette syndrome Social class Socioeconomic
status
Introduction
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder characterised by multiple motor tics and one or more vocal/phonic tics [1]. TS is three-to-four times more common in males, and is thought to affect up to0.31 % of school-age children [2, 3]. Patients with TS show a wide spectrum of clinical severity, with variation in tic frequency, complexity (ranging from simple muscle contractions to complex echo- and coprophenomena) and associated distress [46]. Behavioural co-morbidities are common [7], especially obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-decit and hyperactivity...