Early‐Life and Family Risk Factors for Tic Disorder Persistence into Adulthood

• Published in: Movement disorders 2023-08, Vol.38 (8), p.1419-1427
• Main Authors: Mataix‐Cols, David, Isomura, Kayoko, Brander, Gustaf, Brikell, Isabell, Lichtenstein, Paul, Chang, Zheng, Larsson, Henrik, Kuja‐Halkola, Ralf, Black, Kevin J., Sidorchuk, Anna, Fernández de la Cruz, Lorena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adults; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Autoimmune diseases; Children; Comorbidity; Developmental disabilities; Family medical history; Hyperactivity; Mental disorders; Movement disorders; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Statistical analysis; tic disorders; Tourette syndrome
• ISSN: 0885-3185; 1531-8257; 1531-8257
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.29454

Background Many children with tic disorders outgrow their tics, but little is known about the proportion of individuals who will continue to require specialist services in adulthood and which variables are associated with tic persistence. Objectives The aims were to estimate the proportion of individuals first diagnosed with tic disorders in childhood who continued to receive tic disorder diagnoses after age 18 years and to identify risk factors for persistence. Methods In this Swedish nationwide cohort study including 3761 individuals diagnosed with tic disorders in childhood, we calculated the proportion of individuals whose diagnoses persisted into adulthood. Minimally adjusted logistic regression models examined the associations between sociodemographic, clinical, and family variables and tic disorder persistence. A multivariable model was then fitted, including only variables that were statistically significant in the minimally adjusted models. Results Seven hundred and fifty‐four (20%) children with tic disorders received a diagnosis of a chronic tic disorder in adulthood. Psychiatric comorbidity in childhood (particularly attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive‐compulsive disorder, pervasive developmental disorders, and anxiety disorders) and psychiatric disorders in first‐degree relatives (particularly tic and anxiety disorders) were the strongest risk factors for persistence. We did not observe statistically significant associations with socioeconomic variables, perinatal complications, comorbid autoimmune diseases, or family history of autoimmune diseases. All statistically significant variables combined explained approximately 10% of the variance in tic disorder persistence (P