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Effect Of Behavior Therapy For Tourette's Disorder On Psychiatric Symptoms And Functioning In Adults, Joseph F. Mcguire, Emily J. Ricketts, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini, John T. Walkup, Alan L. Peterson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Although behavior therapy reduces tic severity, it is unknown whether it improves co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes for adults with Tourette's disorder (TD). This information is essential for effective treatment planning. This study examined the effects of behavior therapy on psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes in older adolescents and adults with TD.

Method

A total of 122 individuals with TD or a chronic tic disorder participated in a clinical trial comparing behavior therapy to psychoeducation and supportive therapy. At baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up visits, participants completed assessments of tic severity, co-occurring symptoms (inattention, impulsiveness, hyperactivity, anger, anxiety, depression, …

Anxiety In Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Common And Autism-Related Anxiety Experiences And Their Associations With Individual Characteristics, Boon Yen Lau, Ruth Leong, Mirko Uljarevic, Jian Wei Lerh, Jacqui Rodgers, Matthew J. Hollocks, Mikle South, Helen Mcconachie, Ann Ozsivadjian, Amy V. Van Hecke, Robin Libove, Antonio Hardan, Susan Leekam, Emily Simonoff, Iliana Magiati

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Anxiety is common in autism spectrum disorder. Many anxiety symptoms in autism spectrum disorder are consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) anxiety disorders (termed “common” anxieties), but others may be qualitatively different, likely relating to autism spectrum disorder traits (herein termed “autism-related” anxieties). To date, few studies have examined both “common” and “autism-related” anxiety experiences in autism spectrum disorder. We explored caregiver-reported Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent version data from a multi-site (United Kingdom, Singapore, and United States) pooled database of 870 6- to 18-year-old participants with autism spectrum disorder, of whom 287 provided at least …

Self-Esteem In Adults With Tourette Syndrome And Chronic Tic Disorders: The Roles Of Tic Severity, Treatment, And Comorbidity, Hilary Weingarden, Lawrence Scahill, Susanne Hoeppner, Alan L. Peterson, Douglas W. Woods, John T. Walkup, John Piacentini, Sabine Wilhelm

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorders (CTD) are stigmatizing disorders that may significantly impact self-esteem. Alternatively, comorbid psychiatric illnesses may affect self-esteem more than tics themselves. Extant research on self-esteem in TS/CTD is limited, has inconsistently examined the effect of comorbidities on self-esteem, and yields mixed findings.

Method

This study aimed to clarify the roles of tics versus comorbid diagnoses on self-esteem in a large, carefully diagnosed sample of adults with TS/CTD (N = 122) receiving 10 weeks of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) or Psychoeducation and Supportive Therapy (PST).

Results

Baseline self-esteem did not differ …

Neurocognitive Correlates Of Treatment Response In Children With Tourette's Disorder, Susanna W. Chang, Joseph F. Mcguire, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, James Dziura, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This paper examined neurocognitive functioning and its relationship to behavior treatment response among youth with Tourette's Disorder (TD) in a large randomized controlled trial. Participants diagnosed with TD completed a brief neurocognitive battery assessing inhibitory functions, working memory, and habit learning pre- and post-treatment with behavior therapy (CBIT, Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) or psychoeducation plus supportive therapy (PST). At baseline, youth with tics and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited some evidence of impaired working memory and simple motor inhibition relative to youth with tics without ADHD. Additionally, a small negative association was found between antipsychotic medications and youth's …

Comorbidity And Quality Of Life In Adults With Hair Pulling Disorder, David C. Houghton, Joyce Maas, Michael P. Twohig, Stephen M. Saunders, Scott N. Compton, Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Martin E. Franklin, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and …