title: Evaluation of the reported association of obsessive-compulsive symptoms or disorder with Tourette's disorder.
abstract: This review evaluates the evidence reporting an association of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with Tourette's syndrome or disorder (TS). Published reports in the literature describing a relationship between OCS-OCD and TS provided the data for the review. The methodological adequacy of the studies are discussed and rated on five criteria: adequacy of the experimental sample, presence and adequacy of the control sample, whether tics are defined as OCS-OCD, whether blind procedures are used to diagnose OCS-OCD in subjects and controls, and evidence for the reliability and validity of OCS-OCD measures. Although there are considerable clinical indications suggesting an association of OCS-OCD with TS and chronic motor tic disorder (CMT), and a possible overlap between OSC-OCD and TS, our evaluation of the evidence does not provide adequate support for an association between these disorders. To meaningfully evaluate the possible relationship between OCS-OCD and TS requires development of specific criteria for classification of OCS-OCD-TS symptoms, use of adequate experimental and control samples, blind evaluation, reliable and valid measures of OCS-OCD-TS, and appropriate statistical analysis. If such studies are performed, it is possible that the strong relationship reported between OCS-OCD and TS is more likely to be artifact than fact, and recent bandwagon effect rather than the latest breakthrough.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Scarsdale, NY.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology