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. 2023 Mar;93(3):472-478.
doi: 10.1002/ana.26586. Epub 2023 Jan 18.

Extra Movements in Healthy People: Challenging the Definition and Diagnostic Practice of Tic Disorders

Stefanie Bartha  1 , Annet Bluschke  1 , Tina Rawish  2 , Kim E R Naumann  1 , Paul Wendiggensen  1 , Tobias Bäumer  2 , Veit Roessner  1 , Alexander Münchau  2 , Christian Beste  1   3   4
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Extra Movements in Healthy People: Challenging the Definition and Diagnostic Practice of Tic Disorders

Stefanie Bartha et al. Ann Neurol. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

The occurrence of motor/vocal tics, that is, "extra movements" and/or "extra vocalizations," is the leading diagnostic criterion for tic disorders. We show that extra movements are common also in healthy controls, so that a surplus of movements per se is not indicative of the presence of a tic disorder. This questions the usefulness of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition criteria for tic disorders in clinical practice. Apparently, it is not solely a surplus of movements that defines tic disorders. Instead, movement characteristics and patterns seem to play a crucial role. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:472-478.

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