ERIC Number: EJ954261
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Feb
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0890-8567
EISSN: N/A
Prevalence of Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tics in the Population-Based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Cohort
Scharf, Jeremiah M.; Miller, Laura L.; Mathews, Carol A.; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, v51 n2 p192-201.e5 Feb 2012
Objective: Recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CT) are more common than previously recognized. However, few population-based studies have examined the prevalence of co-occurring neuropsychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We evaluated the prevalence of TS, CT, and their overlap with OCD and ADHD in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort. Method: A total of 6,768 children were evaluated using longitudinal data from mother-completed questionnaires. "DSM-IV-TR" diagnoses of TS and CT were derived using three levels of diagnostic stringency (Narrow, Intermediate, and Broad). Validity of the case definitions was assessed by comparing gender ratios and rates of co-occurring OCD and ADHD using heterogeneity analyses. Results: Age 13 prevalence rates for TS (0.3% for Narrow; 0.7% for Intermediate) and CT (0.5% for Narrow; 1.1% for Intermediate) were consistent with rates from other population-based studies. Rates of co-occurring OCD and ADHD were higher in TS and CT Narrow and Intermediate groups compared with controls but lower than has been previously reported. Only 8.2% of TS Intermediate cases had both OCD and ADHD; 69% of TS Intermediate cases did not have either co-occurring OCD or ADHD. Conclusions: This study suggests that co-occurring OCD and ADHD is markedly lower in TS cases derived from population-based samples than has been reported in clinically ascertained TS cases. Further examination of the range of co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorders in population-based TS samples may shed new perspective on the underlying shared pathophysiology of these three neurodevelopmental conditions. (Contains 3 figures and 8 tables.)
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Incidence, Questionnaires, Neurological Impairments, Mental Disorders, Longitudinal Studies, Children, Clinical Diagnosis, Adolescents
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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