Treatment
The Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorder Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offers different kinds of treatment for patients living with tics, ADHD, OCD and other psychiatric disorders.
Medical treatment to reduce tics is not needed if tics are mild. Current medical treatments benefit many persons with moderate to severe tic symptoms, but are not effective in all individuals. Moreover, medications that suppress tics may have intolerable side effects or may exacerbate associated psychiatric problems. We are engaged in research to find better treatments for Tourette Syndrome.
For moderate or severe tics causing quality of life impairment, our clinic provides expert medical care including a range of medications as well as botox injections for severe or dystonic tics. We are experienced in use of multiple medications for children with multiple diagnoses and we are well qualified to monitor for medication side effects. We also treat adults with severe tics and collaborate with Movement Disorder Experts at the University of Cincinnati and around the USA.
Behavioral treatments for tic reduction may be a helpful form of treatment. We are currently collaborating with Wendi Lopez PsyD as well as a multi-center research team to offer and optimize behavioral treatments.
Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in children with tics often goes well with routing ADHD treatment through the primary physician. However, if treatment responses are poor or if tics worsen, a referral to the Tourette Syndrome clinic may be helpful. We treat ADHD in many children with Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders.
Medical or Psychological Treatment of OCD is often advisable. We treat mild to moderate OCD in the Tourette Clinic. For more severe cases, we are currently working with Elana Harris MD, PhD to improve treatment of OCD in TS, for both clinical care and research. In addition, we collaborate with other doctors in the Cincinnati Children’s Division of Psychiatry for treatment of OCD and other psychiatric disorders, and with psychiatrists in the community. We are very proactive in referrals to experts in the Cincinnati Children’s Division of Psychology for treatment of OCD with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
