Sensory phenomena in Tourette's syndrome

Abstract

Sensory phenomena in the form of premonitory urges and "just right" perceptions appear to be common features of tic disorders including TS. Shapiro et al. (5) proposed that these sensory phenomena are an idiosyncratic feature of TS that is present in a minority of TS patients. However, data from recent studies suggest that premonitory urges are common in TS and may even be a defining feature of the disorder. These findings further indicate that clinicians should inquire about the presence of premonitory urges during the assessment of individuals with movement disorders. Of particular interest for future research is the relationship of the anatomical location of the premonitory urge and the site of the tic. Further study of sensory phenomena in other movement disorders is also warranted.