Diagnostic Criteria for the Tic Disorders

Diagnostic Criteria for the Tic Disorders

There are four diagnostic categories included in the tic disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis-orders: Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Asso-ciation, 1994): 1) Tourette’s disorder; 2) chronic motor or vocal tic disorder (CT); 3) transient tic disorder; and 4) tic disorder not otherwise specified, which is a residual category for tic disorders not meeting the duration or age criteria of the other categories. In general, diagnostic decisions are based on whether both motor and phonic tics are present, duration of time affected with tics, age at onset, lack of another medical cause for the tics, and the presence of impairment.