EFFICACY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR TOURETTE SYNDROME. LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and vocal sounds called tics. The aim of this study is to carry out a literature review about the published scien-tific evidence relating to the effectiveness of physical therapy treatment in TS. Material and method: different research strategies were made in the following databases in order to gather information: PubMed, PEDro, WOS (Web of Science), Scopus, Cochrane Library Plus, ScienceDirect, Dialnet, LILACS, Medes, Ibecs, PsycINFO (APA) and Clinical Trials. No limits were established regarding date of publication, study design or sample age. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated with the corresponding scale according to the study design: the STROBE Statement for observational studies, the CASPE Guide for uncontrolled trials and the PEDro Scale for randomized controlled trials (RCT). Scientific evidence level was determined by following the criteria of the Oxford Centre for Evidence based Medicine (CEBM). Results: we include 6 of the 437 initially located documents. Three of which are about Therapeutic Physical Exercise (TPE); the remaining 3 are about repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). Conclusions: very limited literature has been found concerning the treatment of TS with physical therapy. The included studies have low methodological quality, so there is severely limited scientific evidence about the effectiveness of physical therapy in TS. However, the limited localized research seems to indicate the possible efficacy of some physiotherapeutic procedures in the approach to TS.