NON-OBSCENE COMPLEX SOCIALLY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR IN TOURETTES-SYNDROME

The authors surveyed 87 adolescent or adult patients with Tourette's s yndrome (TS) regarding the presence, characteristics, and functional i mpact of non-obscene socially inappropriate (SI) behavior. Reported be haviors included insulting others (22%), other SI comments (5%), and S I actions (14%). More often, subjects described having an urge to carr y out these behaviors (30%, 26%, 22%, respectively), which they often attempted to suppress. Non-obscene SI behavior was usually directed at a family member or familiar person, at home or in a familiar setting. Social difficulties commonly resulted. Non-obscene SI behavior is a c ommon and potentially disabling feature of TS. It is closely associate d with conduct disorder and attention deficit disorder and may represe nt part of a more general dysfunction of impulse control in TS.