Stress management and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.
Tourette's syndrome is a lifelong disorder characterized by multiple motor and verbal tics. The present study examined relaxation training and desensitization training as a method of reducing the frequency and intensity of tics and the distress they caused in a young adult diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. After a period of symptom monitoring the subject underwent 3 weeks of intensive training in relaxation skills and 5 weeks of desensitization training with situational cues previously identified as eliciting Tourette's symptoms. According to self-report monitoring, the experience of symptoms was decreased across 3 global dimensions: distress (48%), frequency (48%), and intensity (50%), and an hourly symptom count (50%). Collateral parental symptom report agreed with an observed decreased across distress (40%), frequency (41%), and intensity (40%). Inspection of data suggests that both components of stress management added to total treatment efficacy.
Michultka
D M
DM
Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, State University of New York, Albany 12203.
Blanchard
E B
EB
Rosenblum
E L
EL
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*