Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children With Tourette Syndrome

Introduction: Tourette syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition defined by motor and phonic tics with onset in childhood. Many families have concerns regarding potential side effects of pharmacologic treatments, and often have difficulty accessing comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics. Patients and caregivers may turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as they perceive these as “natural” and therefore “safe.” Although there are anecdotal reports of an increased use of CAM in Tourette syndrome patients, the exact prevalence is unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify commonly used CAM therapies for children with Tourette syndrome at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to the caregivers of children (