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Activity in Tourette Syndrome

Enhancing Physical Activity in Children With Tics and Tourette Syndrome: Impact on Tic Severity and Quality of Life

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02153463
Enrollment
14
Registered
2014-06-03
Start date
2014-05-31
Completion date
2014-12-31
Last updated
2015-08-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Persistent Tic Disorder, Tourette Syndrome

Keywords

Tourette Syndrome, Persistent Tic Disorder, Physical Activity, Quality of Life

Brief summary

Tics are brief repetitive movements or vocalizations. Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a disorder characterized by recurrent motor and vocal tics. Tourette syndrome and tic disorders affect up to 8% of children. Peak severity of tic disorders occurs between the ages of 8 to 12 years, therefore during childhood and adolescence the most significant impacts are felt. The quality of life of young people with tics is lower than their peers' and tic severity predicts lower quality of life. Studies have also shown negative social perception toward children with tics. Approximately 50% of patients with Tourette syndrome will have other diagnoses including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. Studies have shown improvements in ADHD with physical activity. ADHD and tic disorders are thought to involve the same areas of the brain; thus it is possible that tics might also improve with physical activity. However, no studies to date have examined this. The investigators predict that by implementing a motivational physical activity program, in conjunction with physical activity counseling, the investigators will be able to increase levels of physical activity in children with tics and Tourette syndrome, with a positive impact on tic severity.

Interventions

Physical Activity Counselling weekly for 8 weeks

Sponsors

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Participants are between 8-16 years of age. * Participants are required to have a diagnosis of either Tourette Syndrome or Persistent (Chronic) Motor of Vocal Tic Disorder as per the DSM V. * Participants must be ambulatory. * Participants and parents must understand English or French. * Participants must be able and willing to complete the questionnaires. * Participants cannot have any changes to their medication for tics, or any other psychotropic medications for 4 weeks prior to and for the entire duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Participants who cannot ambulate independently. * Participants who are not permitted to participate in physical education class at school. * Participants or families who are not willing to be randomly assigned to a study group.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Decrease in Yale Global Tic Severity Scale.8 weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Change in The Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale for children and adolescents8 weeks

Other

MeasureTime frame
Change in PedsQL 4.0 measure8 weeks
Change in KidScreen-278 weeks
Chang in The Children's Self-perceived Adequacy and Predilection for Physical Activity Questionnaire8 Weeks
Change in step count via pedometer8 weeks

Countries

Canada

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026