Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: response to electroconvulsive therapy.
Tourette syndrome is a chronic disease characterized by vocal and motor ticks. Self-injurious behavior is observed in one third of the patients and can be life-threatening. Current medical therapy includes dopamine receptor antagonists and atypical antipsychotics. In certain cases, there has been some evidence about the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The case study below is a Tourette syndrome patient with self-injurious behavior and psychotic features and poor response to medical therapy. Two years of remission was achieved after 7 sessions of ECT and carbamezapine maintance therapy. In conclusion, ECT can be used as an efficacious treatment modality for Tourette patients with self-injurious behavior, psychotic features, or for those that are unresponsive to traditional methods.
Karadenizli
Demet
D
Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit/Samsun/Turkiye, Turkey. demetkaradenizli@yahoo.com
Dilbaz
Nesrin
N
Bayam
Goksel
G
D000328:Adult; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000628:therapy; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*