title: The Rorschach test and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: a pilot case-control study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS C. Mondino Foundation, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Balottin
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Viganò
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanti
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzi
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Termine
mesh_terms: 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*