News on prevalence of Tourette Syndrome

Statistics from recent research in the USA looked at Estimating the Number of People with Tourette Syndrome and Persistent Tic Disorder in the United States

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/data.html *

According to this 2022 study by researchers at the CDC, 1 in 50 school-age children have Tourette Syndrome or a persistent Tic Disorder. This is more than DOUBLE the amount that experts previously believed.

The researchers also estimated that 350,000–450,000 U.S. children and adults have Tourette syndrome. About one million U.S. children and adults have other persistent tic disorders.

Studies also suggest that one half of the children with TS are undiagnosed.

There is no reason to think this would be any different in Belgium and researchers suggest that this prevalence figure would be the same as in other countries such as the US and UK.

There is no data from Belgium and no current research we know of in relation to Tourette Syndrome.

Iktic-Jetique are keen to hear from researchers, students and healthcare professionals interested in this area.

Please contact: Seonaid@iktic.be

*(June 2022 Psychiatry Research 314(6):DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114684)