Tics: Motor and Vocal Symptoms, Examples, and When to Seek Help

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Author: Angela Bogdanova · Published: October 12, 2026 · Editorial Policy

Research cluster: Tic Disorders, Tourette Syndrome & Repetitive Behaviors · Written by Artificial Sapiens

A tic is a sudden, repeated movement or sound that occurs involuntarily or with only partial voluntary control. Eye blinking, facial grimacing, head jerking, shoulder shrugging, sniffing, and throat clearing are familiar examples. Some tics are brief and barely noticeable; others involve coordinated gestures, words, or sounds. A tic is a symptom. Whether someone has a diagnosable tic disorder depends on the history, pattern, duration, age at onset, and clinical assessment. CDC: About Tourette Syndrome | CDC: Diagnosing Tic Disorders

This guide explains how motor and vocal tics appear, how simple and complex tics differ, what people may feel before a tic, why symptoms can change throughout the day, which other movements and behaviors can resemble tics, and when medical evaluation is useful. It is designed for people noticing an unfamiliar movement or sound in themselves or someone they care for. Detailed diagnoses, behavioral therapy protocols, and medication decisions belong in their respective clinical guides.

What are tics?

Clinically, tics are typically sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic movements (motor tics) or vocalizations (vocal or phonic tics). They often occur in bouts. Their form, frequency, intensity, and complexity may fluctuate substantially over hours, weeks, or years. A tic can involve one muscle group or a more elaborate pattern of movement or sound. The formal definition and clinical characteristics are summarized in the European Society for the Study of Tourette Syndrome (ESSTS) assessment guideline.

People do not all experience tics in the same way. One person may notice a quick facial movement that arrives without warning. Another senses growing tension and briefly delays a sound before producing it. Some people can voluntarily suppress particular tics for a short period, although the experience may require sustained effort. Children who are younger or newly developing tics may have trouble explaining what they feel. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics may occur in people who do not have Tourette syndrome. A single episode of blinking or a repetitive throat sound is insufficient to identify a tic disorder, and a tic disorder cannot be classified from an isolated video or a symptom checklist. A clinician considers whether the behavior is truly a tic and evaluates the broader history. CDC diagnostic criteria

Motor tics: what they look like

Motor tics involve body movements. Some engage only a small group of muscles and last a fraction of a second. Others consist of several movements that may look like a gesture or purposeful action. The appearance alone does not establish the diagnosis, because blinking, jerking, touching, or bending can also have other explanations. The CDC identifies blinking, shoulder shrugging, and arm jerking as representative examples.

Examples of simple motor tics

A simple motor tic is commonly a brief movement involving one muscle group or a limited number of muscles. Examples include repeated eye blinking, squinting, nose wrinkling, facial grimacing, eyebrow raising, mouth movements, head nodding or jerking, shoulder shrugging, and a quick movement of the arm or hand. The person may have one movement repeatedly for a period and later develop another. The frequency can vary greatly, including periods when the tic is difficult for others to notice. CDC overview | ESSTS clinical assessment

Examples of complex motor tics

Complex motor tics involve a recognizable sequence or coordinated combination of movements. A person might turn the head while lifting the shoulder, touch a surface, briefly jump, bend, make a repeated gesture, or carry out a specific sequence of movements. Some complex tics resemble ordinary actions, making their suddenness, stereotyped recurrence, timing, and associated sensations important to the clinical history. A behavior that looks intentional from the outside may still be experienced as a tic. CDC overview | ESSTS clinical assessment

Complexity describes the movement's form; it does not automatically indicate a more severe illness. A simple tic can cause pain or interrupt vision, while a complex tic may be relatively infrequent and have little effect on life. Clinicians consider both tic characteristics and the person's actual distress or impairment. AAN treatment guideline

Vocal tics: what they sound like

Vocal tics are sudden, recurring sounds or vocalizations produced through the respiratory tract, throat, nose, or voice. They are also called phonic tics. The word 'vocal' can be misleading: a vocal tic does not have to be a spoken word. Sniffing, grunting, and throat clearing are among the most familiar examples. Motor and vocal tics may occur separately or together. CDC overview

Examples of simple vocal tics

Simple vocal tics can include throat clearing, sniffing, grunting, squeaking, clicking-like mouth sounds, humming, short cries, or brief nonverbal noises. The sound may be repeated many times or appear in short clusters. A throat-clearing sound can also come from allergies, reflux, infection, or irritation, so recognizing its repetition is only a starting point for evaluation. ESSTS assessment guideline

Examples of complex vocal tics

Complex vocal tics can involve words, phrases, or recognizable speech patterns. Echolalia refers to repeating something another person has said; palilalia refers to repeating one's own words or sounds. Some people have vocal tics involving socially inappropriate words or expressions, a phenomenon called coprolalia. These are examples of possible tic phenomena, and they are interpreted in the context of the person's full symptom history. ESSTS assessment guideline

Coprolalia is often emphasized in entertainment media, yet it is not required for a Tourette syndrome diagnosis and is absent in most people with the condition. A child with repeated blinking and throat clearing does not need to shout words or use profanity to have clinically significant tics. Conversely, profanity by itself cannot establish Tourette syndrome. CDC overview

Simple and complex tics: what the labels tell us

Simple versus complex distinguishes the phenomenology of a movement or sound, not a separate disease category. A simple motor tic may consist of a fast facial contraction; a complex motor tic may resemble a short action. A simple vocal tic might be a grunt; a complex vocal tic might be a repeated phrase. The same person may have several types over time. Clinicians document the repertoire and how it changes rather than assigning a permanent identity from one observed example. ESSTS assessment guideline

Neither category reliably predicts a person's overall functioning. Severity assessment considers number, frequency, intensity, complexity, interference, and associated impairment. Someone whose brief neck tic produces repeated pain can need more assistance than someone with a conspicuous but painless complex tic. AAN guideline | ESSTS assessment guideline

What does a tic feel like? Premonitory urges and relief

Many adolescents and adults describe a premonitory urge: an uncomfortable internal sensation or tension that occurs just before a tic. It can feel like pressure behind the eyes, tightness in the neck, an itch-like sensation, an urge to clear the throat, or a general feeling that a movement needs to happen. Performing the tic may temporarily ease the sensation. However, not everyone recognizes an urge, and very young children may have difficulty identifying or describing it. ESSTS assessment guideline

A common description is an increasing need to blink, shrug, move, or make a noise, followed by short-lived relief. This is a clinical description of experience, not a claim that every tic follows one universal urge–relief cycle. Some tics occur without a clearly noticed precursor; some feel partly deliberate in their final execution despite the involuntary drive behind them. These distinctions matter when clinicians distinguish tics from other movement patterns and when selecting behavioral techniques. ESSTS assessment guideline

Can tics be controlled or suppressed?

Some tics can be delayed or suppressed for a time. A student may hold back an audible tic during class; an adult may suppress a facial movement during a meeting. Suppression can involve concentration, discomfort, distraction, or fatigue, and the ability to suppress varies across individuals and across tics. Temporary suppression does not mean the original symptom was invented, chosen for attention, or simply a bad habit. ESSTS assessment guideline | CDC on behavioral treatment

It is also important to avoid making a universal claim that suppression inevitably causes a later rebound. The way symptoms change afterward is variable and should be understood within the person's observed pattern. A clinician or trained behavioral therapist can help explore suppression, urges, and daily triggers without blaming the person for the symptom. ESSTS assessment guideline

Why do tics come and go?

Tics frequently wax and wane. A child may blink repeatedly for several weeks, have a quieter period, then develop a shoulder movement or a different sound. Symptoms may appear more strongly at certain times of day, in particular settings, or during periods of increased arousal. A quieter day does not necessarily mean the underlying condition has resolved, and a worse day does not by itself signal progressive neurological disease. CDC overview

Stress, excitement, fatigue, frustration, focused attention, being observed, or changes in routine may coincide with alterations in tic expression. Their effects vary between people, and the observation that a context increases a tic does not show that the context originally caused a neurodevelopmental tic disorder. Some individuals have more tics when relaxed at home, where they no longer work to suppress symptoms. Assessment therefore benefits from information across different environments. ESSTS assessment guideline

Neurological and developmental susceptibility, rather than a single situational trigger, informs our understanding of persistent tic disorders. The clinical causes of any individual movement must still be assessed: caffeine, medication effects, sleep problems, respiratory irritation, and other medical conditions can produce behaviors that resemble tics. Distinguishing correlation, exacerbation, and the underlying cause is essential. CDC diagnostic guidance | ESSTS assessment guideline

When do tics usually start, and how do they change with age?

Neurodevelopmental tics commonly begin in childhood; Tourette syndrome symptoms often first appear at roughly ages five to ten, frequently beginning with motor tics around the face or head. Tic forms and severity can change over time. Many individuals experience improvement during adolescence or early adulthood, although a significant group continues to have tics as adults. Individual outcomes vary, so a child's future cannot be predicted from the first few months of symptoms. CDC overview

Newly appearing, highly complex, or rapidly escalating tic-like behaviors in an adolescent or adult merit a thoughtful clinical assessment. They may arise in several contexts, including functional tic-like behaviors, medication-related phenomena, or neurological conditions. Age and onset pattern guide evaluation but never provide a diagnosis on their own. CDC diagnosis | ESSTS functional-behavior consensus

Does having a tic mean Tourette syndrome?

No. Tourette syndrome is one specific clinical tic disorder, and the classification relies on the combination of motor and vocal symptoms, the time since the first tic, age at onset, and exclusion of an alternative substance-related or medical cause. The fact that someone has one recurring movement or one recurring sound does not establish Tourette syndrome. CDC diagnosis

The main tic disorder categories

Provisional tic disorder applies when motor tics, vocal tics, or both have been present for less than one year since the first tic began, with the other relevant diagnostic requirements satisfied. Persistent motor or vocal tic disorder involves one tic category—motor or vocal, but not both—over more than one year. Tourette syndrome involves multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic at some point during the illness, with more than one year since first tic onset. Motor and vocal tics do not have to occur simultaneously. For all three, onset is before age 18 and symptoms must not be attributable to a substance or another medical condition. CDC diagnostic criteria

The one-year distinction refers to time since first tic onset, not the requirement that tics be present on every single day. The type of tic disorder can be determined only after reviewing the full history and relevant exclusions. Other specified or unspecified tic disorder classifications may be considered in presentations that do not satisfy the main named categories, according to formal diagnostic systems and clinical judgment. CDC diagnostic criteria | ESSTS assessment guideline

What looks like a tic but may be something else?

Repeated movements and noises overlap in outward appearance across several clinical and nonclinical phenomena. A clinician looks beyond the visible action to the person's developmental history, typical age at onset, timing, rhythm, experience before and after the behavior, ability to interrupt it, presence of a goal or fear, associated symptoms, medication exposure, and examination findings. No one feature, including an urge or the capacity to suppress, separates all tics from all alternative explanations. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics versus motor stereotypies and stimming

Motor stereotypies are often more rhythmic, prolonged, patterned, or consistent over time than typical tics, and they commonly begin earlier in childhood. They may involve rocking, hand flapping, or repeated coordinated movements. Stimming is a broader everyday term for sensory or self-regulatory repetitive behavior and may be experienced as soothing or enjoyable. These patterns occur both in people with and without autism. A person can also have stereotypies and genuine tics, so the presence of one does not exclude the other. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics versus OCD compulsions

Compulsions may involve checking, touching, tapping, repeating, or arranging and can resemble complex tics. In OCD, the behavior is commonly linked to an obsession, a rule, anxiety reduction, feared consequences, or a sense of incompleteness. Tics may involve sensory urges and relief without an elaborate obsession. Yet the experiences overlap, particularly for 'just-right' behaviors, and OCD and tic disorders can coexist. For the dedicated comparison, see OCD vs. Tourette Syndrome: Tics, Compulsions, Urges, and Tic-Related OCD. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics versus seizures, myoclonus, dystonia, or other movements

Some seizure types and other neurological movement disorders can produce brief jerks or unusual movements. Features such as loss or alteration of awareness, unusual sustained postures, rhythmic episodes, falls, new neurological deficits, or atypical progression change the assessment. Clinicians may recommend neurological examination or targeted tests when the presentation suggests an alternative cause. EEG, MRI, or laboratory testing are generally selected based on clinical findings; they are not routine requirements to diagnose an otherwise typical childhood tic history. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics versus eye, nose, and throat conditions

Recurrent blinking may accompany dry eyes, visual strain, allergy, or irritation. Sniffing and throat clearing can occur with nasal allergy, respiratory infection, reflux, or a habitual response to throat sensations. When a movement or sound has a plausible medical explanation, clinicians assess that possibility rather than assuming it is a tic. A persistent symptom can have more than one contributing factor. ESSTS assessment guideline

Tics versus body-focused repetitive behaviors

Hair pulling and skin picking typically involve different behavioral patterns and diagnostic considerations from brief motor tics, even though both can involve urges and repetitive actions. A person can have both. The relevant question for evaluation is what the person experiences, how the behavior unfolds, and what impairment or tissue injury follows. The broader distinctions among OCD-related repetitive behaviors are addressed in the OCD and tic disorders overview. ESSTS assessment guideline

Functional tic-like behaviors

Functional tic-like behaviors are genuine, often involuntary movement or vocal symptoms assessed within the field of functional neurological disorders. Some presentations have rapid onset, prominent complex movements or phrases, or a different developmental course from typical childhood-onset neurodevelopmental tics. Patterns overlap, some people have both kinds of symptoms, and diagnosis relies on positive clinical findings and contextual evaluation—not age, gender, social-media exposure, or a viral video alone. The ESSTS international consensus describes structured clinical assessment for these presentations.

Functional symptoms should never be equated with deliberate imitation, deception, or lack of distress. Identifying them accurately matters because supportive explanation, management of associated symptoms, and treatment planning may differ from care for a primary neurodevelopmental tic disorder. A person with abrupt or impairing symptoms deserves assessment without blame. ESSTS consensus | CDC diagnostic guidance

When should you seek medical evaluation for tics?

Arrange a nonemergency visit with a pediatrician, primary care clinician, or relevant specialist when new repetitive movements or sounds persist, recur, are difficult to identify, or are concerning to the person or family. Assessment is particularly helpful when tics cause physical discomfort, embarrassment, bullying, sleep disruption, problems concentrating, school difficulties, workplace problems, or avoidance of social situations. A clinician can distinguish a tic from competing explanations and discuss whether any treatment is needed. CDC diagnosis | AAN guideline

Reasons to seek an appointment sooner

Seek timely evaluation when symptoms begin abruptly and are severe, appear for the first time in adulthood, cause repeated injury or substantial pain, interfere with speech, eating, breathing or daily functioning, follow a medication change, or are accompanied by other neurological or behavioral changes. These patterns do not prove a dangerous cause, but they call for a broader examination than a routine discussion of familiar mild childhood tics. ESSTS assessment guideline

Symptoms that warrant urgent or emergency care

Urgent medical assessment is appropriate for episodes involving loss of consciousness, prolonged or repeated seizure-like activity, new weakness or difficulty speaking, serious injury, severe breathing difficulty, or other acute neurological symptoms. These require evaluation on their own terms and should not be attributed automatically to a tic disorder. Follow local emergency-care guidance for acute symptoms. ESSTS assessment guideline

How clinicians evaluate a possible tic

Clinical assessment begins with a careful description of the movement or sound: when it first appeared, how it has changed, whether it feels preceded by an urge, whether it can be briefly delayed, and which situations affect it. The clinician considers developmental history, medication and substance exposure, medical conditions, family history, pain or functional impairment, and coexisting mental-health or learning concerns. Often, the patient's description and a standard physical or neurological examination are sufficient; further tests are chosen if indicated. ESSTS assessment guideline

A clinician may ask parents, caregivers, teachers, or partners about changes across settings. A short video recorded with the person's consent can help when the symptom rarely occurs during an appointment. The absence of tics in the examining room does not rule out a history of recurrent tics: symptoms fluctuate and may be suppressed or reduced temporarily. ESSTS assessment guideline

Do tic severity scales diagnose Tourette syndrome?

Tools such as the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) characterize tic frequency, intensity, complexity, interference, and impairment. They help quantify symptoms over time and in research or specialty care. They are not stand-alone diagnostic tests, and they cannot determine Tourette syndrome from a score alone. Self-report of premonitory urges can add clinically useful information, but it also depends on developmental stage and insight. ESSTS assessment guideline

Why clinicians may ask about ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and autism

Attention problems, compulsive symptoms, anxiety, learning difficulties, and autism-related traits may be relevant to the person's functioning and differential assessment. Tourette syndrome and chronic tics can co-occur with ADHD and OCD, but each condition has its own criteria and should be evaluated independently. A child's school problems may reflect attention difficulties, tics, stress about peers, or several factors at once. Treatment priorities should follow the actual sources of impairment rather than focusing automatically on the most visible tic. AAN guideline | ESSTS assessment guideline

What can help with tics?

Many mild tics need explanation, reassurance, and periodic review rather than active treatment. If the person is not distressed or impaired, watchful waiting is a guideline-supported option. When tics cause pain, injury, social difficulties, or other impairment, treatment can be considered collaboratively with a trained clinician. The aim is improved functioning and quality of life, rather than forcing every tic to disappear. AAN guideline | CDC treatment

Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)

CBIT is a structured behavioral treatment with evidence from randomized clinical trials in children and adults with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorders. It includes awareness training, a carefully selected competing response, and interventions targeting situations in which tics are especially troublesome. Its effectiveness does not imply that tics are deliberately produced or that every individual can control them through willpower. CDC: Behavioral Treatment for Tics | Piacentini and colleagues' randomized trial

In the randomized pediatric trial by Piacentini and colleagues, structured behavior therapy improved tic severity more than supportive therapy and education over the initial treatment period. That result provides support for a specific intervention in the studied population, rather than a guarantee of benefit for every tic or every patient. Access to properly trained professionals can be a challenge, and treatment should be tailored to age, symptoms, priorities, and ability to participate. JAMA randomized trial | AAN treatment recommendations

Medication and other approaches

Medication may be considered when tics create clinically important impairment and behavioral intervention alone is unavailable or insufficient, or when individual circumstances favor a pharmacologic approach. Medication choices require discussion of expected benefit, side effects, co-occurring conditions, and monitoring. Some drugs used in tic management affect blood pressure or cause sedation; others carry metabolic, movement-related, or other risks. Treatment decisions and dosing belong with a licensed clinician. AAN guideline | CDC treatment

Education, reducing stigma, allowing reasonable accommodations, supporting sleep and daily routines, and addressing painful or disabling symptoms can improve the person's experience. These supports do not amount to a cure, and they should not be framed as proof that stress caused the disorder. Evidence for supplements, unstructured internet 'tic cures,' and general wellness programs should not be equated with evidence for CBIT or guideline-directed medical care. AAN guideline

Practical support at home, school, and work

Respond to the person rather than repeatedly policing each movement or sound. Ask whether they want help explaining symptoms, taking a break, managing painful episodes, or seeking a clinical assessment. Repeated demands to 'stop doing that' can increase social pressure and may ignore the effort already involved in temporary suppression. The goal is to lower unnecessary barriers while respecting the person's preferences and ability to make choices. CDC treatment and education resources

At school, appropriate support may include flexible seating, access to a brief break, reduced attention to involuntary sounds, or alternatives to tasks disrupted by painful motor tics. Where applicable in the United States, individualized school supports may be discussed through a 504 plan or IEP process based on educational needs. At work, adjustments can focus on actual tasks, symptom burden, and the employee's preferences. An accommodation is useful when it solves a concrete difficulty rather than when it follows automatically from a diagnostic label. CDC treatment

If a family is unsure whether a symptom is a tic, a neutral description is more useful than a premature label. For example: 'There is a quick repeated head movement, mostly in the evening, present for three weeks, and it sometimes causes neck pain.' This gives a clinician the facts needed to decide what to ask next. A short log can document onset, change, pain, triggers, and interference without turning daily life into constant surveillance. ESSTS assessment guideline

Common myths about tics

Myth: Every person with tics has Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome has specific motor/vocal, duration, onset, and exclusion criteria. Other tic disorders and tic-like symptoms exist, and diagnosis relies on a longitudinal clinical assessment. CDC diagnostic criteria

Myth: Vocal tics always involve speech or swearing

Vocal tics frequently involve simple sounds, such as grunts, sniffing, or throat clearing. Coprolalia occurs in a minority of people with Tourette syndrome and is never required for the diagnosis. CDC overview

Myth: A person who suppresses a tic is faking it

Suppressibility is a recognized feature of many tics. Some individuals delay a tic at the cost of increasing discomfort or concentration; others cannot do so reliably. Clinical descriptions distinguish involuntary symptoms from the limited capacity to influence their timing or expression. ESSTS assessment guideline

Myth: Tics always require medication

Many people with mild, nonimpairing tics need information and observation alone. CBIT is an evidence-based option when treatment is desired, and medication is considered through shared clinical decision-making when appropriate. AAN guideline

Frequently asked questions

Can someone have only motor tics?

Yes. A person can have motor tics without vocal tics. If symptoms meet the necessary duration, age-at-onset, and other criteria, persistent motor tic disorder may be considered; when the duration is shorter, a provisional tic disorder may be considered. A clinician determines the diagnosis from the full history. CDC diagnostic criteria

Can someone have only vocal tics?

Yes. Vocal tics can occur without motor tics. The classification depends on the combination of symptoms over time and the exclusion of other explanations. A repetitive cough or throat-clearing sound still needs assessment for respiratory and other medical causes where indicated. CDC diagnostic criteria | ESSTS assessment guideline

Are eye blinking and nose twitching always tics?

No. Both can be tic symptoms, but they can also reflect irritation, visual problems, medication effects, or other movements. The timing, overall pattern, medical history, and clinical examination provide the necessary context. ESSTS assessment guideline

Can tics happen during sleep?

Tics often diminish during sleep, although research and clinical observations show that they are not necessarily absent in every sleep stage or every patient. Daytime fatigue and sleep problems can also affect functioning. A new unusual nighttime movement may have an alternative explanation and deserves assessment if concerning. ESSTS assessment guideline

Do anxiety and stress cause tics?

They can modify tic expression in some individuals, but observing tics increase with stress is not evidence that stress alone produced a neurodevelopmental tic disorder. If anxiety is clinically significant, it deserves attention in its own right. ESSTS assessment guideline

Will my child's tics go away?

Many children experience improvement as they mature, while some have persistent symptoms into adulthood. The pattern can fluctuate and cannot be reliably predicted from one early episode. Families should consider both the developmental course and the child's current comfort and functioning. CDC overview | AAN guideline

Should a child be told to stop making a tic?

Repeated demands to stop usually offer little useful information about the child's control or well-being. It is more constructive to ask whether the tic hurts, interrupts an activity, or makes the child uncomfortable around others, and to seek appropriate guidance if it does. Behavioral treatment is a structured, collaborative clinical process rather than a demand for suppression. CDC CBIT overview

Are tics contagious or learned by watching someone?

Tic disorders are not contagious illnesses. Some tic-like phenomena may be suggestible or influenced by social contexts, and clinicians also recognize functional tic-like behaviors with distinct patterns of onset. Exposure to a video, a friend, or a public discussion is not sufficient to explain an individual presentation or establish any diagnosis. ESSTS assessment guideline | ESSTS functional tic-like consensus

Can adults develop a new tic?

Adults can present with new tic-like symptoms. A first episode in adulthood warrants clinical review of childhood history, medications and substances, functional neurological symptoms, and other movement or medical disorders. One cannot classify an adult-onset event as Tourette syndrome without considering the diagnostic onset criteria. CDC diagnosis | ESSTS assessment guideline

Can a person have both tics and OCD or ADHD?

Yes. Tic disorders can coexist with ADHD, OCD, anxiety, or other conditions, and each requires its own assessment. When several are present, care is guided by which symptoms most affect daily functioning. Read OCD and Tic Disorders: What Is the Connection? for the dedicated OCD comorbidity discussion. AAN guideline

The essential distinction

A tic describes a recurring movement or sound, while a tic disorder describes a clinical pattern established across time and after evaluation of competing explanations. Motor tics move the body; vocal tics produce sounds. Simple and complex tics can occur in the same person, and the experience of urges, suppression, or fluctuating severity varies. A useful assessment asks what the symptom is, how it began, what impact it has, and what else could account for it. Care follows the person's needs and the available clinical evidence. CDC diagnosis | ESSTS clinical assessment

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). About Tourette syndrome. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/about/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Behavioral treatment for tics that works. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/articles/behavioral-treatment-for-tics-that-works.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Diagnosing tic disorders. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/diagnosis/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Treatment of Tourette syndrome. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/treatment/index.html

Piacentini, J., Woods, D. W., Scahill, L., et al. (2010). Behavior therapy for children with Tourette disorder: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 303(19), 1929–1937. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.607

Pringsheim, T., et al. (2023). European Society for the Study of Tourette Syndrome 2022 criteria for clinical diagnosis of functional tic-like behaviours: International consensus from experts in tic disorders. European Journal of Neurology, 30(4), 902–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.15672

Pringsheim, T., Okun, M. S., Müller-Vahl, K., et al. (2019). Practice guideline recommendations summary: Treatment of tics in people with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders. Neurology, 92(19), 896–906. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000007466

Szejko, N., Robinson, S., Hartmann, A., et al. (2022). European clinical guidelines for Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders—version 2.0. Part I: Assessment. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 383–402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01842-2

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