Sensory phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and global functioning in Tourette syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Sensory phenomena, including premonitory urges, are experienced by patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The goal of the present study was to investigate such phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and global functioning in Japanese patients with TS.


METHODS
Forty-one patients with TS were assessed using the University of São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale (USP-SPS), the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS), and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale.


RESULTS
USP-SPS and PUTS total scores were significantly correlated with YGTSS total and vocal tics scores. Additionally, both sensory phenomena severity scores were significantly correlated with DY-BOCS total OCS scores. Of the six dimensional OCS scores, the USP-SPS scores were significantly correlated with measures of aggression and sexual/religious dimensions. Finally, the PUTS total scores were significantly and negatively correlated with GAF scores.


CONCLUSIONS
By assessing premonitory urges and broader sensory phenomena, and by viewing OCS from a dimensional approach, this study provides significant insight into sensory phenomena related to tics, OCS, and global functioning in patients with TS.
Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. Electronic address: kano-tky@umin.ac.jp.
Yukiko
Y
Kano
Department of Child Psychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
Natsumi
N
Matsuda
Department of Child Psychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
Maiko
M
Nonaka
Course of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Miyuki
M
Fujio
Disability Services Office, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Hitoshi
H
Kuwabara
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan.
Toshiaki
T
Kono
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011340:Problem Solving; D012067:Religion; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D020323:Tics; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult