The effectiveness of habit reversal therapy in the treatment of Tourette syndrome and other chronic tic disorders: a systematic review

Abstract

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by multiple tics, which can require active intervention. It is recognized that behavioral techniques, especially habit reversal therapy (HRT), can offer an effective alternative or complement to pharmacotherapy in this setting. We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the efficacy of HRT in TS and other chronic tic disorders (CTDs). Our search was restricted to randomized controlled trials that used standardized diagnostic and outcome measures to compare the efficacy of HRT against a control treatment. We identified five relevant studies, which included 353 patients. Significant post-treatment reductions in tic severity scores (range: 18.3%-37.5%) were seen in the HRT groups across all studies. Current evidence suggests that HRT can significantly reduce tic severity in both adults and children with TS and other CTDs. Further head-to-head studies are needed to compare the efficacy of HRT with other behavioral interventions for tic management.

Figure 1

PRISMA flow diagram for the inclusion and exclusion of studies