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Tourette syndrome in children in Norway.
Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2019 Nov 19;139(17):
Authors: Surén P, Bakken IJ, Skurtveit S, Handal M, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Stoltenberg C, Nøstvik LI, Weidle B
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome first appears in childhood and is characterised by chronic motor and vocal tics. In other countries, the mean prevalence is estimated at 0.77 % in children aged 6-15 years. Diagnostic practice and treatment have not been investigated in Norway.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: We used data retrieved from the Norwegian Patient Registry and the National Registry to calculate the percentage of children born during the period 2002-10 diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. The calculations were made for the country as a whole as well as by county. Drug therapy was investigated using data from the Norwegian Prescription Database.
RESULTS: By the age of 12, altogether 0.43 % had received a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, broken down into 0.71 % for boys and 0.15 % for girls. The overall percentage varied from 0.15 % to 1.23 % between the counties. For Norway as a whole, the percentage of diagnoses remained stable between 2008 and 2016. Psychiatric and neurological conditions were often present – the most common being hyperkinetic disorder (50 %) and autism spectrum disorder (11 %). Antipsychotic drugs, probably for the treatment of tics, were prescribed for 16 % in the year following the diagnosis.
INTERPRETATION: The percentage of children with a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome is lower than the mean prevalence in population studies internationally. The diagnostic practice varies considerably from county to county.
PMID: 31746178 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31746178?dopt=Abstract