Driving with Tic Disorders: An International Survey of Lived Experiences

• Published in: Movement disorders clinical practice (Hoboken, N.J.) Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 412 - 419
• Main Authors: Fernández de la Cruz, Lorena, Ringberg, Helene, Anderson, Seonaid, Stern, Jeremy S., Mataix‐Cols, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.04.2021; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Automobile driving; chronic tic disorder; driving; Klinisk medicin; licensing agencies; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; motor vehicles; Movement disorders; Neurologi; Psykiatri; tic disorders; Tourette syndrome; driving; licensing agencies; Tourette syndrome; chronic tic disorder; tic disorders; motor vehicles
• ISSN: 2330-1619; 2330-1619
• DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.13177

ABSTRACT Background Little is known about the lived experiences of individuals with tic disorders when driving vehicles or trying to obtain a driving license. Objective To survey the driving‐related experiences of adults with tic disorders. Methods A global survey was disseminated via social media, international patient organizations, and experts between April 27, 2020 and July 20, 2020. Results Participants were 228 adult individuals self‐reporting a confirmed diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder. Of these, 183 (87.7%) had a driver's license. A minority (9%) reported that they had found it hard to pass the driving test. Tics only interfered with driving “a bit” (58.5%) or “not at all” (33%). A majority of participants reported being able to suppress their tics (39.5%) or that their tics are unchanged (28.5%) while driving. Nearly half of the participants (46.5%) had been involved in accidents, but only a negligible percentage (3.2%) considered that these were linked to the tics. Participants without a driver's license (n = 28, 12.3%) reported significantly more severe tics, compared to those with a license. The majority of these (60.7%) identified their tics as the main reason for not having a license and 64.3% said that they would like to receive support to obtain one. Conclusions The majority of surveyed participants with chronic tic disorders reported minimal difficulties with driving. However, a non‐negligible minority of more severe cases struggle with driving or refrain from driving altogether and would benefit from additional support. The results have implications for clinicians and vehicle licensing agencies.