Behavioral Therapy for Tourette Syndrome — BTTS:HBTA  

Tourette Syndrome Clinical Trial

Official title: Behavioral Therapy for Tourette Syndrome: Home-Based and Therapist-Administered

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This research is being done to determine whether a home-based behavioral therapy can be successfully used to treat tics in children with Tourette syndrome (TS). Behavioral therapy administered by a trained therapist has been shown to be helpful in reducing tics in children with Tourette syndrome. In this study, the investigators want to determine whether an instructional video can provide parents of children with TS with the tools necessary to successfully use behavioral therapy at home. The investigators also want to determine the effectiveness of home-based behavioral therapy as compared to improvement achieved when the therapy is provided by a trained therapist.

Clinical Trial Description

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with childhood onset characterized by the presence of chronic motor and vocal (phonic) tics. Tics typically begin between the ages of 4 - 7 years, frequently persist, and often lead to psychosocial, physical, functional, and academic difficulties. Epidemiological studies have shown that about 20-30% of children exhibit tics in a classroom setting whereas the estimated prevalence of impairing cases of TS is 1/100 - 1/1000 individuals. There is no cure for tics and a variety of behavioral and pharmacotherapies have been used successfully to suppress tics. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) has been shown to be beneficial in several large trials as has habit reversal training (HRT), one of its major components. In the past, it has been suggested that only "competent and trained practitioners should administer CBIT." This proposal challenges that concept and believes that one can establish a successful front-line home-based CBIT treatment program that would be beneficial for the treatment of patients with tic symptoms throughout the country.

CBIT is a safe, effective, front-line treatment for TS. Nevertheless, the investigators emphasize the acute shortage of appropriately trained clinicians available to assist affected individuals. Hence, in this proposal the investigators will assess the effectiveness of a behavioral home-based, parent administered treatment by investigating at Johns Hopkins Hospital whether the home-based digital video disc (DVD) reduces tic severity comparable to that achieved with face-to-face treatment administered by an experienced therapist. The investigators' confidence in the success of this project is based on prior experiences with another childhood movement disorder, primary complex motor stereotypies. The potential significance of this project is enormous, recognizing that home-based therapy reduces health care costs, visits to practitioners, the need to train large numbers of therapists, and most importantly provides direct, available care for a greater number individuals affected with tics. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Syndrome
• Tourette Syndrome

• NCT number: NCT03019731
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Johns Hopkins University
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 21, 2017
• Completion date: March 21, 2019