The premonitory urge to tic: measurement, characteristics, and correlates in older adolescents and adults.
In addition to motor and/or vocal tics, many individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS) or chronic tic disorder (CTD) report frequent, uncomfortable sensory phenomena that immediately precede the tics. To date, examination of these premonitory sensations or urges has been limited by inconsistent assessment tools. In this paper, we examine the psychometric properties of a nine-item self-report measure, the Premonitory Urge to Tic Scale (PUTS) and examine the characteristics and correlates of the premonitory urge to tic in a clinical sample of 122 older adolescents and adults with TS or CTD. The PUTS demonstrated adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and concurrent validity. Premonitory urges were endorsed by the majority of individuals. Most individuals reported some relief from the urges after completing a tic and being able to stop their tics even if only temporarily. Degree of premonitory urges was not significantly correlated with age, and we did not observe any gender differences. Degree of premonitory urges was significantly correlated with estimated IQ and tic severity, but not severity of comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, it was not related to concomitant medication status. These findings represent another step forward in our understanding of the premonitory sensations associated with TS and CTD.
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Electronic address: hreese@partners.org.
Hannah E
HE
Reese
Yale Child Study Center; Emory University.
Lawrence
L
Scahill
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Alan L
AL
Peterson
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School; Fordham University.
Katherine
K
Crowe
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Texas A & M University.
Douglas W
DW
Woods
University of California at Los Angeles.
John
J
Piacentini
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; Weill Cornell Medical College.
John T
JT
Walkup
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.
Sabine
S
Wilhelm
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
Tourette syndrome; adults; chronic tic disorder; older adolescents; premonitory urge