The psychopathological spectrum of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Abstract

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) holds a unique status as quintessentially neuropsychiatric condition at the interface between neurology (movement disorder) and psychiatry (behavioural condition). This is a reflection of the common observation that the vast majority of patients present with behavioural problems in association with the motor and vocal tics which define GTS. The present article focuses on the relationship between GTS and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), affective disorders (both major depression and bipolar affective disorder), and personality disorders. Over the last decade, converging lines of research have pointed towards the concept of a 'GTS spectrum', encompassing motor phenomena and behavioural symptoms, with important implications for the clinical management of patients.