Clinical Management of Tourette's Syndrome and Associated Disorders

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical management of Tourette's syndrome (TS) and the associated disorders, namely obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with an emphasis on the pharmacologic intervention strategies. METHOD: English language literature on the pharmacologic management of TS and the associated disorders published between 1985 and 1994 was critically reviewed. RESULTS: Pharmacologic management was placed in the context of the overall clinical management. Pharmacologic strategies for treatment of TS, OCD and ADHD were organized according to the therapeutic agent class. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of TS and its associated disorders requires the application of the full range of psychiatric skills to achieve a favourable outcome.