Impulse-Control Disorders in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

This review article provides extensive and in-depth reporting of research on studies assessing impulse-control disorder in its many forms, as it relates to Tourette's syndrome. Findings are presented in terms of varying patient samples and demographics: by age, gender, symptom profile, type of treatment, and result.

Impulse-control disorders (ICDs) are more common in clinic populations with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) than in the general population. The clinical phenomenology of ICDs differ between men with GTS (who tend to be externally impulsive) and women with GTS (who tend to be internally impulsive). This article reviews the relevant literature to-date on impulsivity in GTS, with special focus on intermittent, explosive disorder, self-injurious behavior, trichotillomania, and impulsive-compulsive sexual behavior. The medical and legal community should be aware of the full spectrum of organically-based behaviors that may predispose patients with GTS to unwanted legal disciplinary action.