RELAXATION THERAPY IN TOURETTE-SYNDROME - A PILOT-STUDY

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of behavioral relaxation ther apy as treatment for Tourette syndrome, 23 patients were recruited fro m a university-based pediatric Tourette syndrome referral clinic. Indi viduals were randomized and stratified according to initial tic severi ty and the presence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into e ither relaxation therapy or a minimal therapy (control) group. Sixteen patients, mean age 11.8 years (S.D. 2.8 years), completed the 3-month study, which included weekly, hour-long, individual training sessions for 6 weeks. Individuals (n = 7) in the relaxation therapy group demo nstrated a significantly increased ability to relax, compared with the minimal therapy (awareness and quiet time training) group. At 6 weeks , tic findings, based on five established tic severity scales, reveale d greater improvement in the relaxation treatment group, but values fa iled to reach statistical significance. No difference between therapy groups was apparent at the 3-month evaluation. The acquired ability to relax did not significantly affect behavioral measures on the Child B ehavioral Checklist. On the basis of this pilot study, relaxation ther apy appears to have a limited role in the treatment of ties in Tourett e syndrome. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.