Modified Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (M_CBIT) (M_CBIT)
Tourette Syndrome, ADHD
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Tourette Syndrome
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Have a DSM-5-based diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome or Persistent Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder
- Have a diagnosis of ADHD by DSM-5 standards, or a previous diagnosis of ADHD where there are some residual symptoms (at least 7/18) but does not currently meet diagnostic criteria due to current medications.
- Tic disorder is the most problematic psychiatric disorder and the primary reason for seeking treatment
- Have a current total tic severity score of >13 (or >9 if CTD) on the Yale Global Tic Severity Score (YGTSS), and a current total impairment score of >19 on the YGTSS
- Be male or female and between 10-17 years of age at the start of the treatment, inclusive
- Be able to communicate meaningfully with the investigators and be competent to provide written assent; both parental informed consent and adolescent assent must be obtained
- Be English speaking
Exclusion Criteria:
- Comorbid psychiatric diagnoses including: alcohol or substance abuse or dependence within the past 3 months, psychosis, organic mental disorder, current mania, developmental delay, estimated IQ <80 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), other cognitive impairment that would interfere with ability to engage in CBT, or other developmental/cognitive impairment that precludes the participant from being able to communicate meaningfully with the treater
- Those deemed to pose a serious suicidal or homicidal threat (e.g., suicide attempt within past 6 months and/or endorsement of "I want to kill myself" on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI)).
- Current illness (tics or otherwise) so severe that an immediate psychopharmacological evaluation is warranted
- Any clinical features requiring a higher level of care than outpatient (as determined by evaluator).
- Intent to travel for a period longer than two weeks (such that three sessions would be missed) during the proposed time-frame of the study. However, this criterion may be waived as per the discretion of the Principal investigator.
- In general, the participant cannot be engaged in concurrent psychotherapy - if they are, they would need to stop (no lag time required between stopping current therapy and beginning this intervention). Decisions can be made on a case by case basis if the therapy is for a concern/disorder separate from mood, anxiety or OCD-spectrum disorders (e.g. gender dysphoria).
- Four or more sessions of previous CBT treatment similar to the current treatment (CBIT and/or CBT for ADHD) within the last five years
- Participants can be receiving psychotropic medication, but they must be on a stable dose for four weeks prior to the study baseline assessment and maintain this dosage throughout the course of the study. If a potential participant is taking psychotropic medication at the time of the phone evaluation or the first in-person study assessment and wishes to discontinue this medication to enter the trial, the participant will be asked to discuss this option with their prescribing physician to determine whether medication discontinuation would be safe and in the participant's best interest. We will not influence the decision or procedures participants choose with their prescribing physician. If the participant decides to discontinue treatment with the psychotropic medication, he/she must wait for four weeks before receiving a baseline assessment.
Sites / Locations
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
Modified CBIT Treatment Arm
Standard CBIT Treatment Arm
In this arm, participants will receive the modified CBIT protocol. In addition to addressing tics, the treatment in this arm will also directly address ADHD symptoms using CBT for ADHD techniques, and quality of life concerns. The treatment itself will be modified to be more accessible to an ADHD population. The treatment will consist of twelve 50-min sessions: ten weekly and then two every other week for relapse prevention.
In this arm, participants will receive the standard CBIT intervention (Piacentini et al 2010). The primary components of CBIT are habit reversal training, relaxation training and a functional interventional to assess the environment for situations/factors that exacerbate or sustain tics. The treatment will consist of twelve 50-min sessions: ten weekly and then two every other week for relapse prevention.