Journal Club: Current and Future Pharmacologic Strategies for Tourette Syndrome

Course overview

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics, often peaking in severity during school-age years. While some individuals experience mild symptoms, others face significant impairment, particularly when tics are severe or occur with comorbid conditions such as ADHD or OCD. Current treatments include behavioral interventions, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, and dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, though tolerability and safety concerns limit long-term use. Growing interest in novel mechanisms, including dopamine D1 receptor antagonism, has led to the development of investigational agents such as ecopipam. This course reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current treatment of TS, with a focus on emerging therapies and their potential to expand future treatment options.