Tics and Tourette syndrome in childhood: An update

Tics commonly start in childhood, causing concern both in patients and their families. Tourette Syndrome (TS) is less frequent at this age, has multiple fluctuating chronic tics and is associated with other neuro-psychiatric disorders. The objective of this article is to provide a useful review and update on tics and TS, including clinical manifestation, epidemiology, and management, for medical teams that work with pediatric patients with these disorders. When we face a pediatric patient with tics o TS, we need to evaluate the person and his context, carrying out a detailed medical history and complete neurological exam, in search of comorbidities and potential repercussions these may have in the patient ' s adaptive functions, considering their emotional, social, familiar and scholastic context. Laboratory test are not needed in order to diagnose this disorder. Treatment must be multidisciplinary, considering psychosocial strategies and behavioral therapies from the start, reserving pharmacological treatment only for specific cases.