The Rorschach test and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: a pilot case-control study.
BACKGROUND
To date only three studies, all lacking a control group, have investigated the personality style underlying tic disorders or Tourette's syndrome (TS), using the projective Rorschach test. Despite the recent controversy about its proper use in clinical practice and research, the Rorschach test may be useful to explore personality organization in TS. The research hypothesis under investigation in this exploratory study was that young TS patients exhibit a peculiar personality organization, with significantly increased indicators of poor emotional control, aggression, anxiety and depression, on the Rorschach test, compared to healthy controls.


METHODS
We analyed the Rorschach protocols of 17 newly diagnosed paediatric TS patients and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.


RESULTS
Compared with the controls young TS patients recorded significantly lower mean percentages of F and F+ responses and a significantly higher number of FM and FC responses, thus showing reduced control of emotions and difficulty in integrating aggressivity. Furthermore, associations emerged between comorbidity with ADHD and increased emotional instability and between severity of tics and of OCD and a pattern of emotional hyper-control and application of rigid defensive mechanisms.


CONCLUSIONS
These results seem to confirm the existence of a peculiar personality style in young TS patients and may have important implications, both pathogenetic and therapeutic.
Balottin
Umberto
U
Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS C. Mondino Foundation, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Rossi
Maura
M
Rossi
Giorgio
G
Viganò
Lucia
L
Nanti
Marta
M
Salini
Silvia
S
Lanzi
Giovanni
G
Termine
Cristiano
C
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012392:Rorschach Test; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020323:Tics / Q000523:psychology; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*