Tourette Syndrome Diagnosed in 3 in Every 1,000 Kids

Many more cases have not been identified, U.S. health officials say

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

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THURSDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- In the first estimate of its kind, U.S. health officials report that three of every 1,000 children, mostly boys, are diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that usually begins in early childhood, with symptoms typically becoming more severe between the ages of 10 and 12. The key features of the condition are recurring motor tics plus at least one vocal tic, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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"These are diagnosed cases, not necessarily all the cases that are out there," noted study author Lawrence D. Scahill, an associate professor of nursing and child psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. "There is good reason to believe it's an underestimate of the likely prevalence."

People used to think that Tourette Syndrome was rare and uniformly severe, Scahill said. In 1980, the definition of the condition was broadened to include milder cases, he added. "As soon as that happened, the prevalence went up."

Earlier studies had put the prevalence of Tourette Syndrome at six probable cases per 1,000 children, Scahill said.

"The difference of the three per thousand of diagnosed cases and the six per thousand probable cases is the difference between identified cases and cases that are out there, but haven't been diagnosed," he said. "This tells us we are not doing so badly in terms of identifying cases. Half of the cases are being identified and monitored, but half are not."

Even though most cases are mild, with barely notable tics, these children can suffer from other developmental problems, he added. "The frequency of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is over 60 percent in this population, the frequency of behavioral problems is over 40 percent, anxiety [is] 40 percent," Scahill said.

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