Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Occurrence of Tic Disorders in Children and Adolescents—What is the Verdict

The United States Food and Drug Administration currently states that the use of stimulants in patients with tic disorders and/or family history of tic disorders including Tourette’s syndrome is contraindicated. Patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however, are at increased risk of tics regardless of stimulants use. After evaluating the most recent literature on the incidence of tic disorders in pediatric patients treated with stimulants for ADHD, it is reasonable to say that the incidence of tics and the severity of tics are not increased by the use of these medications. For patients with pre-existing tic disorders, the usual recommended dosing of stimulants should be used because supratherapeutic doses of this class of medications, specifically dextroamphetamine, have shown to exacerbate tic disorders.