Analysis of 90 hospitalized children with refractory Tourette′s syndrome / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the diagnosis and treatment process, treatment methods and clinical efficacy of children with refractory Tourette′s syndrome (TS), thus providing a basis for comprehensive prevention and treatment of refractory TS.Methods:A total of 90 children with refractory TS treated in the Child Mental Health Research Center of Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from May 2012 to July 2019 were recruited.Their baseline characteristics, diagnosis of comorbidities before and after hospitalization, combined non-drug therapy during hospitalization, the drug types used before and after admission, the dosages of main anti-tic drugs used before admission and at discharge, and the treatment outcomes of comorbidities after admission were retrospectively analyzed.The Yale global tic severity scales (YGTSS) scores and the reduction rate were used to assess the severity of tic disorder and therapeutic effect, and the clinical global impression-efficacy index (CGI-EI) scores were graded for assessing the final therapeutic efficacy.Results:Among the 90 children with refractory TS, 82 children were males and 8 children were females.There was a significant difference in the YGTSS scores at admission and discharge (25.04±12.77 vs.67.64±12.46) ( t=27.55, P<0.05). The proportion of all recruited children diagnosed with comorbidities at discharge was significantly higher than that of admission (85.56% vs.47.78%, χ2=28.90, P<0.05). Combined non-drug therapies after admission mainly included psycho-education and supportive therapy (90 cases), comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (47 cases) and relaxation therapy (19 cases). The distribution of drugs used before and after admission was the same, and there was no significant difference in the dosages of the five major anti-tic drugs before admission and at discharge (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences in YGTSS scores and reduction rate, and CGI-EI scores of children with or without comorbidities before and after admission (all P>0.05), suggesting the similar therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions:There is no difference in efficacy between outpatient treatment and anti-tic medication of children with refractory TS, and a comprehensive hospitalized intervention can significantly improve their clinical symptoms.Diagnosis and treatment of comorbidities and combined non-drug treatments like comprehensive psychological and behavioral interventions are the key events to improve the prognosis of children with refractory TS.