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The prevalence of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome in children and adolescents with autism: a large scale study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 1999

S. BARON-COHEN ,
V. L. SCAHILL ,
J. IZAGUIRRE ,
H. HORNSEY  and
M. M. ROBERTSON
S. BARON-COHEN
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Children's Centre, Southport; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University College London and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
V. L. SCAHILL
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Children's Centre, Southport; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University College London and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
J. IZAGUIRRE
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Children's Centre, Southport; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University College London and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
H. HORNSEY
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Children's Centre, Southport; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University College London and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
M. M. ROBERTSON
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Children's Centre, Southport; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University College London and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
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Abstract

Background. An earlier small-scale study of children with autism revealed that 8·1% of such patients were co-morbid for Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). The present study is a large scale test of whether this result replicates.

Method. Four hundred and forty-seven pupils from nine schools for children and adolescents with autism were screened for the presence of motor and vocal tics.

Results. Subsequent family interviews confirmed the co-morbid diagnosis of definite GTS in 19 children, giving a prevalence rate of 4·3%. A further 10 children were diagnosed with probable GTS (2·2%).

Conclusions. These results indicate that the rate of GTS in autism exceeds that expected by chance, and the combined rate (6·5%) is similar to the rates found in the smaller-scale study. Methodological considerations and alternative explanations for an increased prevalence are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 29 , Issue 5 , September 1999 , pp. 1151 - 1159
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

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