Abstract
Chronic tic disorders, such as Tourette syndrome, are characterized by motor and vocal
tics. Tics present a considerable burden for some patients, and therefore, effective
treatment is important. One evidence-based treatment option is a behavioral therapy
called exposure and response prevention (ERP). Despite its effectiveness, access to
ERP remains limited due to a lack of treatment sites. Web-based videoconferences can
connect patients at home with a therapist located in the hospital, allowing for treatment
delivery over a wide geographic area. The primary aim of this study was to compare
the development of tics during and 1 year after ERP delivery, respectively, via web-based
videoconferences and traditional face-to-face methods in a naturalistic setting. In
total, 116 patients treated using either the face-to-face method (n = 72) or web-based videoconferences (n = 44) were included. The primary outcome measure was tic severity. In both training
modalities, tic severity decreased during ERP and the effect lasted in the follow-up
period. No statistically significant differences in tic severity between the training
modalities were found at baseline, last training session, or at follow-up. Our results
suggest that ERP delivered via web-based videoconferences is a good alternative to
the traditional face-to-face method.
Keywords exposure and response prevention - behavioral therapy - web-based videoconference
- Tourette syndrome - telemedicine - tics
