Ticked Off: Anger Outbursts and Aggressive Symptoms in Tourette Disorder

Tourette disorder is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome of childhood onset characterized by multiple motor and phonic tics and is associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. Symptoms of impulsive aggression (explosive outbursts or “rage”) are commonly encountered in the clinical setting, cause significant morbidity, and pose diagnostic and treatment challenges. These symptoms may be multifactorial in etiology and result from a complex interplay of illness severity and psychosocial factors. Treatment strategies require careful differential diagnostic evaluation and include both behavioral and pharmacologic interventions.