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J "Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova". 2003; 103(9):59-62.
Behavioral therapy of ticks with negative reinforcement in children.
Nabieva T.N., Mukhin E.I.
Brain Institute of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 105064, per. Obukha 5, Moscow, Russia.
Thirty-two children suffering from motor and vocal ticks were examined with the purpose of investigating nature and central mechanisms of pathological obsessive movements. All patients exhibited weakness and dystonia in ticks-prone muscles. Based on the results obtained earlier, a complex of physical exercises has been worked out and conducted for 20 days. We applied special muscle-strengthening exercises for ticks-prone muscle groups and used these exercises with the purpose to normalize muscle strength and tone. The patients were divided into 3 groups. 1st group (n=10) did the exercises daily for training the ticks-prone muscles. These exercises resulted in the strengthening of muscles and insignificant decrease in the number of ticks. The 2nd group (n=10) had to perform exercises as a punishment only after the manifestation of ticks -- negative reinforcement. The patients of the 2nd group got rid of ticks for 20 days. The children of the 3rd group (n=12) were made from those of the 2nd group who by different reasons got punishment (in the form of exercises) on irregular basis (only in 30-70% of all ticks manifestation cases) -- probable negative reinforcement. The probable reinforcement of ticks in children of the 3rd group did not change pathological muscle activity. The central mechanisms of cortical plasticity in behavioral therapy of ticks are also discussed.
Key words: ticks, behavioral therapy, negative reinforcement.
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