Parent Behavioral Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Tourette Syndrome

Hospital Clinic of Barcelona

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Tourette Syndrome; Behavioral Problem

Treatments: Behavioral: Parent Training; Other: Supportive Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02882490

AEPNYA 2014-2016

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a parent training program to control disruptive behaviors in children with Tourette Syndrome.

Full description

Disruptive behaviors occur in 80% of children with Tourette Syndrome, and can be more disabling than the tics themselves.

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of a parent training program to control disruptive behaviors in children with Tourette Syndrome. In addition, social cognition will be examined in all the participants to analyze its relationship with the severity of disruptive behavior and the treatment response.

42 children with Tourette Syndrome and moderate disruptive behaviors will be randomly assigned to a 10-week Parent Training Program or a 10-week Supportive Therapy. Clinical response will be evaluated after the intervention period, and three and six months later.

Enrollment: 42 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 14 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Fulfill DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Tourette's Disorder
• Moderate disruptive behaviors (Home Situations Questionnaire score >3)

Exclusion criteria

• Lifetime history of global learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder or organic brain disorder.
• Previous parent training with qualified therapist within the last 12 months prior to assessment
• Simultaneous individual treatment for disruptive behaviors.
• Initiation or adjustment of any psychotropic medication within the last 6 weeks prior to assessment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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42 participants in 2 patient groups

Parent training (PT)

Experimental group

Description:

The PT arm receives a 10-week therapist-guided behavioral group treatment. The treatment is based on existing literature for training parents in child behavior management skills (Barkley 1999). Parents attend weekly sessions, which last 90 minutes and are held at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Parents are given homework assignments to complete between sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Parent Training

Supportive Therapy (ST)

Experimental group

Description:

The ST arm receives a 10-week supportive group treatment. Parents are invited to discuss relevant problems that have occurred during the previous week. A therapist moderate the discussion but does not provide information about the behavioral techniques included in the PT group. Parents attend weekly sessions, which last 90 minutes and are held at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Parents are given homework assignments to complete between sessions.

Treatment:

Other: Supportive Therapy