Non-pharmacological treatment of tic disorders in children

  Tic disorder (TD), a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by single or multi-site muscle movements or (and) vocal tics, is often accompanied by other psychological behavior disorders such as ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and learning difficulties. The main manifestations are involuntary, purposeless, repetitive, and rapid contractile movements; dry coughing sounds, throat clearing sounds, and nasal aspiration sounds. The pathogenesis is not yet clear. The incidence is 0.5~1/100,000, and the ratio of male to female is 3~5:1. The duration of the disease is long, usually more than 1 year, and can be up to 10 years or more, and it is highly fluctuating, sometimes hidden, but mostly disappears around puberty. Those who persist into adulthood have reduced severity of tics. Most patients can have a nearly normal life and work.  Treatment for the disorder includes medication, non-pharmacological treatment – psycho-behavioral treatment – the former is not necessary for everyone, but the latter is indispensable. If medications are used, it is important to follow medical advice on the choice of first-line to second-line medications, from starting dose, therapeutic dose, maintenance dose, and dose reduction to discontinuation. Non-pharmacological treatment requires even more cooperation and input from the guardian.  Non-pharmacological psycho-behavioral treatment Education: It is an important tool to improve tic symptoms, intervene in co-morbidities and improve social functioning. Educational goals should include the child, guardians, teachers, and other people who have more contact with the child to create a suitable living and learning environment for the child. Educational methods: individual instruction, verbal explanation, written card prompts, telephone consultation, scientific publicity, special websites, etc.  Habit reversal training: The use of confrontational reactions to stop tic attacks must be done step by step.  The first step is to establish self-awareness of the tic: the child repeatedly observes his or her tic symptoms in the mirror, detects the symptoms, experiences a premonition that the symptoms will appear; identifies occasions when the symptoms are likely to appear.  Step 2: Introduce competitive antagonistic actions: for motor tics, the opposite antagonistic response is to pull the muscles corresponding to the tics; for tics related to laryngeal vocalization such as throat clearing, use tightly closed mouth and slow rhythmic deep breathing through the nasal cavity to stop the occurrence of vocal tics.  Step 3, continuous correction: review the adverse consequences of the occurrence of tic symptoms to enhance motivation and determination to correct; appropriate social exposure and participation in activities at places where tic symptoms used to occur frequently to confirm the ability of the affected child to overcome. The fourth step, imaginary training: for a situation where tics are likely to occur, imagine yourself twitching and confront with competitive actions, thus solidifying the confrontational behavior of tics.  Rhythmic exercise practice: First, it is good for lighter motor twitches; second, learning to breathe deeply and control the breathing rhythm is effective for pronounced twitches, and the key is to stick to the practice without interruption. Each time 10~15 minutes, can be arranged in the morning after waking up, lunchtime, evening and bedtime practice, more than 3 times a day.  1.Inhale deeply and at the same time, stretch your arms to both sides.  2.Inhale deeply while practicing upright – squat.  Positive reinforcement: The guardian should help the child to build up confidence and give appropriate praise and reward whenever there is a reduction in twitching.  Relaxation training: Tensing and relaxing a muscle group in a systematic way in rotation, through repeated training, can lead to a reduction in twitching symptoms.  Negative exercise method: Repeat a certain twitching action consciously for a specified period of time (e.g., 15~30 min), and as time progresses, the child will gradually feel fatigued, the frequency of twitching will decrease, and the symptoms will be reduced.  Self-monitoring method: The child records his or her involuntary movements in detail every day for a specified period of time, such as the number of twitches, the frequency in relation to the environment, etc. Through recording for a period of time, the child can enhance his or her awareness of the twitches and try to overcome them.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy: 1. Younger children: A specialist will evaluate the child and develop a personalized training program to improve gross motor, fine motor and body coordination; visual, auditory and memory training to improve attention and thinking skills.  2. Older children: In addition to cognitive training, under the guidance of a psychiatrist, the child should have a correct understanding of tic symptoms, increase confidence in overcoming the disease, and eliminate low self-esteem.