The effect of shorter exposure versus prolonged exposure on treatment outcome in Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders - an open trial

• Published in: International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 262 - 267
• Main Authors: van de Griendt, Jolande M. T. M., van Dijk, Maarten K., Verdellen, Cara W. J., Verbraak, Marc J. P. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.10.2018
• Subjects: behavioural therapy; exposure and response prevention (ERP); exposure length; tic disorders; Tourette syndrome; behavioural therapy; exposure and response prevention (ERP); Tourette syndrome; exposure length; tic disorders
• ISSN: 1365-1501; 1471-1788
• DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2017.1418892

Background: Exposure and response prevention has shown to be an effective strategy and is considered a first-line intervention in the behavioural treatment of tic disorders. Prior research demonstrated significant tic reduction after 12 two hour sessions. Objective: In this open trial, the question is addressed whether, relative to these prolonged sessions, exposure sessions of shorter duration yield differential outcome for patients with tic disorders. Methods: A total of 29 patients diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS) or chronic tic disorder were treated with shorter exposure sessions (1 h), and these data were compared to the data from a study about prolonged exposure (2 h, n = 21). Outcome was measured by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). Results: Results suggest that after taking the difference in illness duration between the two groups into account, the effectiveness of shorter exposure sessions is not inferior to that of prolonged exposure. Conclusions: Results suggest that treatment with shorter exposure might be more efficient and more patients can be reached. Future research is needed to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of behavioural treatments for tics.