title: Possible role of repetitive practice of activities requiring reflexive responses in the treatment of Tourette's disorder.
abstract: We report 2 boys, 11 and 7 years old, whose Tourette's disorder improved significantly after a period of repeated, sustained practice of activities requiring reflexive responses One boy engaged in physical exercise including hand-eye co-ordination (table tennis for 6 hours every weekday) and the other learned foreign languages (5 languages within 3 years). Tics may be thought of as a kind of overflow of energy, and excessive energy consumption with physical or mental exercise may improve the motor disorder and associated comorbidities. However, the exercise may require a quick, reflexive response to visual or verbal stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. wanghs444@cgmh.org.tw
authors.forename: Huei-Shyong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meng-Fai
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Jeremy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012028:Reflexotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*