Health Outcomes, Health Status, and Mortality in Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorder

Abstract

Abstract Current knowledge on the health status, health outcomes, and causes of mortality in Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder is very scarce. This chapter summarizes the available literature on the topic and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the studies conducted to date. These previous works have suggested associations between TS and chronic tic disorder and a range of health conditions, including autoimmune disorders, common allergies and respiratory diseases, sleep difficulties, and metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. In addition, the risk of premature mortality in tic disorders has been shown to be higher than that in the general population. Although other specific causes of death are yet to be examined in detail, deaths by suicide in TS and chronic tic disorder have been shown to be significantly higher than those in matched controls. Taken together, these results highlight the need to monitor the general health of individuals with TS or chronic tic disorders. The chapter also suggests further lines of research in this underresearched area of study.