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. 2024 Feb;55(1):67-70.
doi: 10.1055/a-2039-4425. Epub 2023 Feb 21.

Differences in Tic Severity Among Adolescent Girls and Boys with Tourette Syndrome During the Pandemic

Travis R Larsh  1   2 , Steve W Wu  1   2 , David A Huddleston  1 , Tara D Lipps  1 , Donald L Gilbert  1   2
Affiliations

Differences in Tic Severity Among Adolescent Girls and Boys with Tourette Syndrome During the Pandemic

Travis R Larsh et al. Neuropediatrics. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Limited data are available regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adolescents with Tourette syndrome (TS). We sought to compare sex differences in tic severity experienced by adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We extracted from the electronic health record and retrospectively reviewed Yale Global Tic Severity Scores (YGTSS) from adolescents (ages 13 through 17) with TS presenting to our clinic before (36 months) and during (24 months) the pandemic. A total of 373 unique adolescent patient encounters (prepandemic: 199; pandemic: 173) were identified. Compared with prepandemic, girls accounted for a significantly greater proportion of visits during the pandemic (p < 0.001). Prepandemic, tic severity did not differ between girls and boys. During the pandemic, compared with girls, boys had less clinically severe tics (p = 0.003). During the pandemic, older girls, but not boys, had less clinically severe tics (ρ =- 0.32, p = 0.003). These findings provide evidence that, regarding tic severity assessed with YGTSS, the experiences of adolescent girls and boys with TS have differed during the pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Travis R. Larsh has received honoraria and/or travel support from the Tourette Association of America (TAA) and Child Neurology Society (CNS). Steve W. Wu has received research support from the TAA and National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is also site principal investigator for EryDel clinical trial for ataxia-telangiectasia. Donald L. Gilbert has received honoraria and/or travel support from the TAA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CNS, and the American Academy of Neurology. He has received compensation for expert testimony for the U.S. National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, through the Department of Health and Human Services. He has received payment for medical expert opinions through Advanced Medical/Teladoc. He has served as a consultant for Applied Therapeutics and Eumentics Therapeutics. He has received research support from the NIH (NIMH) and the Department of Defense. He has received salary compensation through Cincinnati Children's for work as a clinical trial site investigator from Eboyx (clinical trial, Tourette Syndrome) and EryDel (clinical trial, Ataxia Telangiectasia). He has received book/publication royalties from Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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