Psychosocial treatments for tic disorders: A meta-analysis.

Comments on an article by J. F. McGuire et al. (see record [rid]2014-00423-001[/rid]). McGuire et al. synthesized the results of eight randomized controlled trials examining either Habit Reversal Training (HRT) or Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) which were collectively referred to as behavior therapy for individuals with Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorders. These studies were published or prepared between 1990 and 2012 and represented a total of 438 participants. Using a meta analysis based on a random effects model, they found that behavior therapy resulted in medium to large effect sizes for individuals with Tourette's Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorders. In comparison to McGuire et al's study, the commentators evaluated the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for individuals with tic disorders. Treatments included HRT, CBIT, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Parent Management Training (PMT), Relaxation Therapy, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Among the meta-regressions that were conducted, comorbid diagnosis of ADHD was the only participant characteristic that was found to significantly moderate the effect size; specifically studies with larger percentages of participants with ADHD had lower effect sizes, consistent with McGuire et al.'s findings.