When Tics and Autism Meet: Phenomenology, Severity, and Treatment Patterns.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- 2Department of Pediatric Neurology, Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
- 3Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- 4Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- 5Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Abstract
Background
Tic disorders frequently co-occur with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the impact of ASD on tic phenomenology, severity, and treatment patterns remains incompletely understood.Objectives
To compare clinical characteristics, tic phenomenology, severity, and treatment patterns in individuals with tic disorders with and without comorbid ASD.Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 535 participants from Calgary Child and Adult Tic Disorders Clinical Registries. Tic severity was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Comorbidities, tic phenomenology, and pharmacological treatments were recorded. ASD and non-ASD groups were compared using t-tests and chi-square tests.Results
Mean age at tic onset was 6.79 years; 73.3% were male, and 9.2% had ASD. ASD was associated with higher rates of complex motor (arm 20.4% vs 9.9%; hand 24.5% vs 13.9%) and vocal tics (phrases 12.2% vs 3.5%; palilalia 20.4% vs 8.3%; blocking/stuttering 16.3% vs 6.2%) compared with non-ASD participants (all P < 0.05), with similar overall severity. ASD was also associated with higher rates of ADHD (81.6% vs 44.7%) and greater use of guanfacine, aripiprazole, risperidone, methylphenidate, and dextroamphetamine compared with non-ASD participants (all P < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, ASD was independently associated with lower tic-related impairment (β = -4.49, 95% CI -8.46 to -0.51; P = 0.027).Conclusions
Comorbid ASD in tic disorders is associated with higher rates of complex motor and vocal tics, while severity is similar to non-ASD. Lower tic-related impairment may reflect communication differences. Comorbid symptoms influenced treatment supporting the need for individualized management.
Related
- Phenomenology, Etiology, and Severity of Delirium Among Patients Referred to Consultation-liaison Psychiatry Services in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study
- Evaluation of Plasma Soluble CD 40 Ligand (sCD40L) Levels as a Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Link to the Severity of Cognitive, Social, and Sensory Dysfunctions
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Receipt of Behavioral Treatment Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States
- When CKM Syndrome Stage Is Not a Severity Scale: Audiometric Hearing Thresholds in Older U.S. Adults
- Cytokine Profiles in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: Associations with Lesion Severity and Exploratory Treatment Response
BibTeX
@article{aldurayhim2026when,
title = {{When Tics and Autism Meet: Phenomenology, Severity, and Treatment Patterns.}},
author = {Fatimah Aldurayhim and Davide Martino and Justyna R Sarna and Tamara Pringsheim},
journal = {Movement disorders clinical practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/mdc3.70882},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902960},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - When Tics and Autism Meet: Phenomenology, Severity, and Treatment Patterns.
AU - Fatimah Aldurayhim
AU - Davide Martino
AU - Justyna R Sarna
AU - Tamara Pringsheim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Movement disorders clinical practice
DO - 10.1002/mdc3.70882
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902960
AB - Background Tic disorders frequently co-occur with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the impact of ASD on tic phenomenology, severity, and treatment patterns remains incompletely understood.Objectives To compare clinical characteristics, tic phenomenology, severity, and treatment patterns in individuals with tic disorders with and without comorbid ASD.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 535 participants from Calgary Child and Adult Tic Disorders Clinical Registries. Tic severity was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Comorbidities, tic phenomenology, and pharmacological treatments were recorded. ASD and non-ASD groups were compared using t-tests and chi-square tests.Results Mean age at tic onset was 6.79 years; 73.3% were male, and 9.2% had ASD. ASD was associated with higher rates of complex motor (arm 20.4% vs 9.9%; hand 24.5% vs 13.9%) and vocal tics (phrases 12.2% vs 3.5%; palilalia 20.4% vs 8.3%; blocking/stuttering 16.3% vs 6.2%) compared with non-ASD participants (all P < 0.05), with similar overall severity. ASD was also associated with higher rates of ADHD (81.6% vs 44.7%) and greater use of guanfacine, aripiprazole, risperidone, methylphenidate, and dextroamphetamine compared with non-ASD participants (all P < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, ASD was independently associated with lower tic-related impairment (β = -4.49, 95% CI -8.46 to -0.51; P = 0.027).Conclusions Comorbid ASD in tic disorders is associated with higher rates of complex motor and vocal tics, while severity is similar to non-ASD. Lower tic-related impairment may reflect communication differences. Comorbid symptoms influenced treatment supporting the need for individualized management.
SN - 2330-1619
ER -