An update on the pharmacological management of Tourette syndrome and emerging treatment paradigms

Introduction: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurobehavioral disorder characterized by tics. Pharmacotherapy is advised for patients whose symptoms affect their quality of life.

Areas covered: The authors review the tic phenomenology and TS diagnostic criteria. The bulk of this article focuses on pharmacotherapeutic options for treating tics. They also highlight pharmacotherapies in the research pipeline.

Expert opinion: Tic treatment must be tailored to individual needs. Behavioral therapy is the first line of treatment. Most with bothersome tics need pharmacotherapy and rarely, for medication-refractory cases, surgical therapy is indicated. Alpha-2 agonists are considered in patients with mild tics, especially in those with attention deficit with or without hyperactivity. Second-generation antipsychotics like aripiprazole and tiapride may be considered for severe tics. However, prescribers should be mindful of potential side effects, especially drug-induced movement disorders. Botulinum toxin injections may be considered for focal motor tics. Topiramate can be considered when other treatments are ineffective, and its benefits outweigh the risks. The same holds true for vesicular monoamine transporter-2 inhibitors, as they are deemed to be safe and effective in real-world use and open-label trials despite not meeting primary endpoints in placebo-controlled trials. Cannabinoids may be considered in adults if the approaches above do not control tics.