A primer for the treatment of tic disorders in youth

Abstract

Tic disorders commonly occur among youth and are characterized by the presence of sudden and repetitive body movements and/or vocalizations. Tics range in location (e.g., face, legs) and complexity (e.g., eye blinks, humming, multistep movements, phrases). Typically, tics onset early in childhood (i.e., ages 5–8), peak in severity and prevalence in preadolescence (i.e., ages 10–12), and begin to decline during adolescence. Only a small percentage of youth (around 20%) continue to have moderate or severe tics in adulthood.