Objective: To review current multidisciplinary care practices in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS).

Background: Individuals with TS can have multiple symptoms and co-morbidities and require treatment to encompass all of their needs. A multidisciplinary research or care model approaches the situation/problem from all sides and uses multiple perspectives.

Method: A database search of Medline (using Pubmed), PsychINFO, and Scopus was performed using keywords related to multidisciplinary care and TS. The authors then screened the results for relevant information using a standardized extraction form to collect data. Next, relevant codes from text analysis were extracted with a final list agreed upon with author consensus. Finally, we inferred common themes.

Results: The search revealed 2,304 citations, 87 of which were selected for full-text analysis. One additional article was identified by manual search. Thirty-one citations were deemed relevant. Most addressed multidisciplinary care only tangentially when discussing its role in complex cases, severe comorbidities, and pre-operative evaluation for deep brain stimulation. Also, one article reviewed their center’s experience in developing a multidisciplinary clinic. Despite these limitations, we identified some patterns from text analysis. Multidisciplinary team members typically included a psychiatrist or child psychiatrist, a neurologist or child neurologist, and a psychologist or therapist at the core. Four primary benefits were associated with multidisciplinary care: establishing the diagnosis, managing the complexity of TS and its associated comorbidities, averting complications, and evaluating for advanced therapies. Conversely, the multidisciplinary model has its limitations. One is inherent to its nature and relates to poor team dynamics. Another is a possible rigidity in the treatment approach leading to an algorithmic treatment plan.

Conclusion: A multidisciplinary care model for TS is the preferred model advocated by patients, physicians, and organizations. This scoping review reveals that the impetus for multidisciplinary care rests on four primary benefits, but there is a lack of empirical evidence for defining and evaluating its use.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/a-scoping-review-of-multidisciplinary-care-in-tourette-syndrome/