Funções executivas em crianças com tiques e síndrome de Tourette

Abstract

Theoretical Foundation: The literature has been associating Tourette's Syndrome (TS)with a commitment to executive functioning, in particular in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and verbal working memory. Most of the studies conducted targetedadult individuals, with fewer studies conducted in pediatric age. Studies in pediatric age are more heterogeneous and less conclusive about a possible executive commitment in subjectswith TS or tics. This study aims to evaluate the performance of children with TS and persistenttic disorder in tests of executive functioning. Methodology: A convenience sample was collected, composed of a clinical group with 15children (six with TS and nine with persistent tic disorder) and a control group with 15 children. These groups were paired by age, gender, and schooling. The following instruments were administered to evaluate the executive functioning: Trails A and B, Digit Span, Stroop Test,Verbal Fluency, Signal Cancellation, and the Tower. Raven Standard Progressive Matrices and Parallel Progressive Matrices were applied to evaluate nonverbal intelligence. A behavioral questionnaire (ASEBA - CBCL 6-18) and the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) were also administered to measure possible comorbidities and the severity of tic symptomatology. Results: No significant differences were observed between children with TS and persistent tic disturbance and children in the control group. There were also no intellectual differences. Children with TS scored higher on the tic severity scale compared to children with a persistent tic disorder. Conclusion: Studies in the pediatric age seem more heterogenic than studies conductedwith adults. This study supports recent literature on children with TS, finding no evidence of impairment in executive functions in children with TS and persistent tic disorder (without additional complications and with mild to moderate tic symptomatology).

Date of Award	4 Mar 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Filipa Ribeiro (Supervisor) & Ana Filipa Lopes (Co-Supervisor)