This study investigated the association between the severity of Tourette Syndrome (TS) and comorbid tendencies (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and rage), maternal differential treatment, fairness evaluation of maternal differential treatment, and communication with both sibling and family relationships. Fifty-five mothers and healthy siblings of individuals with Tourette Syndrome participated in the study. The parents provided information regarding family demographics and the severity of Tourette Syndrome and comorbid tendencies, and the healthy siblings completed the sibling and family relationship questionnaires. The questionnaires were posted on a secure website, where the parents and healthy siblings could complete the online measures via internet connections. <br /><br /> The study revealed several important findings. The results showed significant associations between the severity of Tourette Syndrome and comorbid OCD, ADHD and rage tendencies thus suggesting that studying Tourette Syndrome without considering comorbidity would be unrealistic. Additionally, communication regarding Tourette Syndrome between the healthy siblings and their parents played an important role with respect to sibling and family relationships. Communication between the healthy siblings and their parents predicted more warmth between the healthy siblings and their sibling with Tourette Syndrome as well as more family cohesion and adaptability as reported by the healthy siblings. Communication had a significant moderating effect on both severity of Tourette Syndrome and healthy siblings' fairness evaluation of maternal differential treatment in predicting family relationships. When the sibling had less severe Tourette Syndrome, the healthy siblings reported more family adaptability when they had more communication with their parents, and reported less family adaptability when they had less communication with their parents. The results also indicated that when healthy siblings perceived their maternal differential treatment to be unfair, they reported more family cohesion when they had more communication with their parents, and reported less family cohesion when they had less communication with their parents. The study did not support the negative impact of maternal differential treatment on sibling relationships; however, the results confirmed the previous findings regarding the moderating effect of fairness evaluation on maternal differential treatment in predicting sibling relationships. When the sibling with Tourette Syndrome was favored, the healthy siblings reported more sibling warmth when they perceived the favouritism (maternal differential treatment) to be fair. Furthermore, the results showed that healthy siblings' perceptions of maternal differential treatment could predict cohesion and adaptability in the family. The more the healthy siblings reported being treated differently by their mothers, the less cohesion and adaptability they reported in their families. <br /><br /> The present study supported previous studies in finding that sibling conflict decreased with age. The results also highlighted the role of age in moderating the effects of communication and maternal differential treatment in predicting sibling conflict. When healthy siblings had more communication with their parents they reported more conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were younger, and reported less sibling conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were older. Furthermore, when healthy siblings were favored by their mothers, they reported more conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were younger than when they were older, thereby emphasizing the importance of developmental differences in dynamics between the siblings. The significant contributions of the study include underlining the importance of communication, the relationship between Tourette Syndrome and comorbid conditions, and healthy siblings' perceptions of sibling and family relationships.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Although tic disorders are diagnosed as neurological disorders, neurobehavioral models suggest that tics are controlled by premonitory urges that may be conditioned to become aversive through childhood, and that tics are exhibited to alleviate such phenomena. However, only indirect measures have been used to assess the presence of the premonitory urge. This study utilized self-report and GSR measurements to examine whether a punishing contingency conditioned stimuli to be aversive during conditions of tic suppression and whether punishing contingencies exacerbate aversive private phenomena in two adults. Results indicated that conditions of response cost (RC) and differential reinforcement (DRO) were effective at reducing the number of tics compared to baseline. Moreover, GSR was unrelated to urge and suppression conditions despite higher self-reported urge ratings in DRO and RC conditions. Implications of findings are discussed.

Abstract not available

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att i en litteraturstudie ge en allmän beskrivning av Tourettes syndrom och övriga ticstillstånd, samt att granska förhållandena för barn med TS och tics i skolan och vilka förslag som i litteraturen ges på anpassad skolgång för dessa barn. Studien är en kunskapsöversikt med följande frågeställningar: Hur beskrivs Tourettes syndrom och tics i vald litteratur? Vilka problem kan ses hos barn med Tourettes syndrom och tics i skolan enligt vald litteratur? samt Vilka förslag ges i vald litteratur på anpassad skolgång eller pedagogiska insatser för barn med Tourettes syndrom eller ticsbesvär? Dessa frågeställningar har utgjort kategorier i struktureringen av materialet via meningskategorisering. Tourettes syndrom är en neuropsykiatrisk störning vars bakomliggande orsaker troligtvis är ärftlighet. Syndromet förekommer hos ungefär en halv procent av alla skolbarn som då besväras av en kombination av motoriska och vokala tics. Dessa kan ta sig uttryck som ryckningar, grimaser, blinkningar, harklingar, grymtande och skall men kan också innebära exempelvis upprepande av egna eller andras ord och fraser, tvångsmässigt uttalande av obsceniteter och socialt oacceptabla gester eller handlingar. I skolan kan barn med TS ha kognitiva problem, svårigheter att förstå och ta emot muntlig information, kontrollera impulser och ouppmärksamhet på lektioner. Retningar, mobbing, utstötning och dålig självkänsla förekommer oftare hos dessa barn jämfört med andra. I analysen används socialkonstruktionistiska och diskursanalytiska tankegångar.

This study investigated the association between the severity of Tourette Syndrome (TS) and comorbid tendencies (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and rage), maternal differential treatment, fairness evaluation of maternal differential treatment, and communication with both sibling and family relationships. Fifty-five mothers and healthy siblings of individuals with Tourette Syndrome participated in the study. The parents provided information regarding family demographics and the severity of Tourette Syndrome and comorbid tendencies, and the healthy siblings completed the sibling and family relationship questionnaires. The questionnaires were posted on a secure website, where the parents and healthy siblings could complete the online measures via internet connections. <br /><br /> The study revealed several important findings. The results showed significant associations between the severity of Tourette Syndrome and comorbid OCD, ADHD and rage tendencies thus suggesting that studying Tourette Syndrome without considering comorbidity would be unrealistic. Additionally, communication regarding Tourette Syndrome between the healthy siblings and their parents played an important role with respect to sibling and family relationships. Communication between the healthy siblings and their parents predicted more warmth between the healthy siblings and their sibling with Tourette Syndrome as well as more family cohesion and adaptability as reported by the healthy siblings. Communication had a significant moderating effect on both severity of Tourette Syndrome and healthy siblings' fairness evaluation of maternal differential treatment in predicting family relationships. When the sibling had less severe Tourette Syndrome, the healthy siblings reported more family adaptability when they had more communication with their parents, and reported less family adaptability when they had less communication with their parents. The results also indicated that when healthy siblings perceived their maternal differential treatment to be unfair, they reported more family cohesion when they had more communication with their parents, and reported less family cohesion when they had less communication with their parents. The study did not support the negative impact of maternal differential treatment on sibling relationships; however, the results confirmed the previous findings regarding the moderating effect of fairness evaluation on maternal differential treatment in predicting sibling relationships. When the sibling with Tourette Syndrome was favored, the healthy siblings reported more sibling warmth when they perceived the favouritism (maternal differential treatment) to be fair. Furthermore, the results showed that healthy siblings' perceptions of maternal differential treatment could predict cohesion and adaptability in the family. The more the healthy siblings reported being treated differently by their mothers, the less cohesion and adaptability they reported in their families. <br /><br /> The present study supported previous studies in finding that sibling conflict decreased with age. The results also highlighted the role of age in moderating the effects of communication and maternal differential treatment in predicting sibling conflict. When healthy siblings had more communication with their parents they reported more conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were younger, and reported less sibling conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were older. Furthermore, when healthy siblings were favored by their mothers, they reported more conflict with their sibling with Tourette Syndrome when they were younger than when they were older, thereby emphasizing the importance of developmental differences in dynamics between the siblings. The significant contributions of the study include underlining the importance of communication, the relationship between Tourette Syndrome and comorbid conditions, and healthy siblings' perceptions of sibling and family relationships.

The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge and the experience that school counsellors have about tics and Tourette syndrome. This study is based on a qualitative research which we conducted with semi-structured interviews. We have done five interviews with different school counsellors in a small municipality in southern Sweden. The theoretical approach that was used in this study was theory of knowledge as a comprehensive theory and professional competence which includes formal knowledge and tacit knowledge. Some of the study’s conclusions are that the School Counsellors had different professional competence about tics and Tourette syndrome. The school counsellors had received their knowledge through formal educations and work experience. School counsellors had different types of education which mean that they had different knowledge and experiences but also different approaches, methods and way to relate students with tics and Tourette syndrome in their profession. In our results, it appears that work experience and formal education often exist together. Therefore it is not possible to say which specific form of knowledge school counsellors use in a meeting with a student with tics and Tourette syndrome, and whether this could have affected the meeting.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Purpose: To investigate and characterize sensory sensitivity in Tourette syndrome (TS) through an evaluation of behaviour, perception and processing of tactile stimuli in children with TS and co-morbid Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing controls (TDC). Methods: Somatosensory evoked P3 potentials were recorded in TS+ADHD and in TDC children aged 6-12 and compared at midline electrodes. Reported sensory sensitivity was measured using the Sensory Profile, while Semmes-Weinstein filaments were used to determine tactile threshold in the same area stimulated during P3 testing. Results: 13 TS+ADHD and 12 TDC were studied. TS+ADHD children reported significantly higher sensory sensitivity (p=.001) and demonstrated a significantly lower tactile threshold (p=.027) than TDC. Furthermore, the amplitude of electrophysiological responses to repetitive tactile stimuli was significantly larger in TS+ADHD (p=.0009). Conclusion: TS+ADHD children are significantly more sensitive to tactile stimulation than controls. ERP differences suggest that central processing alterations could mediate sensory hypersensitivity.

Purpose: To investigate and characterize sensory sensitivity in Tourette syndrome (TS) through an evaluation of behaviour, perception and processing of tactile stimuli in children with TS and co-morbid Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing controls (TDC). Methods: Somatosensory evoked P3 potentials were recorded in TS+ADHD and in TDC children aged 6-12 and compared at midline electrodes. Reported sensory sensitivity was measured using the Sensory Profile, while Semmes-Weinstein filaments were used to determine tactile threshold in the same area stimulated during P3 testing. Results: 13 TS+ADHD and 12 TDC were studied. TS+ADHD children reported significantly higher sensory sensitivity (p=.001) and demonstrated a significantly lower tactile threshold (p=.027) than TDC. Furthermore, the amplitude of electrophysiological responses to repetitive tactile stimuli was significantly larger in TS+ADHD (p=.0009). Conclusion: TS+ADHD children are significantly more sensitive to tactile stimulation than controls. ERP differences suggest that central processing alterations could mediate sensory hypersensitivity.