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Mental Play in Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. C. Cath ,
B. J. M. van de Wetering ,
T. C. A. M. van Woerkom ,
C. A. L. Hoogduin ,
R. A. C. Roos  and
H. G. M. Rooijmans
D. C. Cath*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Hospital Endegeest, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
B. J. M. van de Wetering
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, Rotterdam
T. C. A. M. van Woerkom
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Municipal Hospitals, The Hague
C. A. L. Hoogduin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis, Delft, also Catholic University, Nijmegen
R. A. C. Roos
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Leiden
H. G. M. Rooijmans
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

A new phenomenon, found only in Gilles de la Tourette (GTS) patients, and which we have called ‘mental play’, is described. It was compared with the phenomenon of counting, which occurred in both GTS and obsessive-compulsive patients. In the GTS patients both mental play and counting were best characterised as playful impulsions. In contrast to the GTS patients, the counting of the obsessive-compulsive patients was in line with their obsessive-compulsive behaviour. These findings suggest that repetitive symptoms in GTS patients, even when they share superficial similarities with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, should not be diagnosed automatically as obsessive-compulsive.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 161 , Issue 4 , October 1992 , pp. 542 - 545
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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