AUTHOR=Prato Adriana , Maugeri Nicoletta , Chiarotti Flavia , Morcaldi Lucia , Vicario Carmelo M. , Barone Rita , Rizzo Renata 

TITLE=A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Videoconference vs. Face-to-Face Delivery of Behavior Therapy for Youths With Tourette Syndrome in the Time of COVID-19

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.862422

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.862422

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=-	Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of online remote behaviour therapy, compared with face-to-face therapy in reducing tics and co-occurring disorders associated with the tics in a sample of youths with Tourette Syndrome.
-	Design: A randomized controlled trial. TS patients were randomized to receive face-to-face or online remote behaviour therapy.
-	Participants: 40 children aged between 9 and 16 years affected by Tourette Syndrome.
-	Results: online remote and face-to-face behaviour therapy are equally effective in the treatment of tics and co-occurring disorders in children and adolescents affected by Tourette Syndrome. Both groups showed an improvement in the severity of tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, as assessed by neuropsychological findings. Online remote behaviour therapy was more effective for reducing depressive symptoms than face-to-face behaviour therapy.
-	Conclusions: Online remote behaviour therapy is a promising tool for behavioural therapies for patients with Tourette Syndrome and may represents an alternative treatment option.