TOURETTE DISORDER - A CROSS-CULTURAL REVIEW

Tourette's disorder (TD) is a complex disorder of motor and vocal ties starting in childhood or adolescence, Although the disorder has been researched extensively in North America and Europe, clinical features and associated conditions of TD are less well known in other cultures. The English-language literature relating to TD was searched for cross -cultural case reports, clinical investigations, and epidemiological s tudies, and the subsequent database was analyzed. The clinical charact eristics of TD displayed a strong similarity across cultures. Demograp hy, family history, clinical features, associated conditions, comorbid ity, and treatment outcome were essentially the same in the various cu ltures investigated. The disorder appears worldwide, has similar clini cal characteristics, and most likely has an underlying biological and genetic basis. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company