Background: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder, characterised by the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics. Some GTS patients need pharmacological treatment. Patients who have a moderate to severe tic syndrome are usually treated with antipsychotics.
Aim: To provide a literature review of the use of typical and atypical antipsychotics as well as dopamine agonists in patients with GTS.
Method: Publications in the Medline database from 1970 onwards were used, as well as literature references from books and book chapters. The following search terms were used: 'treatment', 'psychopharmaca', 'psychopharmacological treatment', 'medication', 'antipsychotics', 'D2 antagonists', 'D2 agonists' and 'atypical antipsychotics'. results A few controlled short-term studies had been performed on haloperidol, pimozide, risperidone and pergolide. These agents all appeared to be effective in the short term, with risperidone showing fewest side-effects.
Conclusion: Surprisingly few controlled studies have been performed on antipsychotics in GTS. Future studies should focus on what the second step should be in the case of treatment-resistant patients, on comparisons between drug therapy and behavioural therapy and on identifying predictors of drug response.