Objective: The neurobiological basis of tic disorders is thought to be a series of interactions including genetic, environmental and gender-related factors. Male gender is thought to be an especially important risk factor in the pathogenesis of the tics. Our aim in this study was to investigate the gender-related hormones of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and cortisol gender hormones in tic patients.
Methods: A total of 26 patients aged 7-12 years who had not entered puberty and were diagnosed with chronic motor or vocal tic disorder (CMVTD) or Tourette syndrome (TS) and 22 healthy children of similar age and gender were included in the study. Serum total testosterone, cortisol and DHEA-S levels were measured with the ELISA method and the relationship with clinical data was investigated.
Results: The testosterone and DHEA-S level of the patient group was higher than that of the control group (p=0.019, p=0.025) but no statistically significant difference was found between the cortisol levels (p=0.642). No statistically significant correlation was found between DHEA-S and testosterone levels and the total tic severity, general disturbance and movement tic subscale scores (p=0.954, p=0.669, p=0.909 respectively for testosterone; p=0.77, p=0.45, p=0.819 respectively for DHEA-S).
Conclusion: The results of this study reveal an elevation of testosterone and DHEA-S in CMVTD and TS patients. Future studies with a larger number of patients can help elucidate the importance of these androgens in tic disorder