A commentary by Drs. Gabriel Amorelli, Davide Martino, and Tamara Pringsheim of the University of Calgary in the August 2022 issue of the Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JCACAP) reviews the rise of functional tic-like behaviours that has been observed in several countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary draws several important distinctions between Tourette syndrome and functional tic-like behavior, and also discuss factors, including social media exposure, that may play a role in the development of these tic-like behaviours. The authors note that accurate diagnosis may reduce prescribing of unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment.
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