Other specified and unspecified tic disorder

I. VOCABULARY

Other Specified Tic Disorder (OSTD) is a diagnosis assigned to individuals who

are experiencing symptoms of Tic Disorder, which cause distress or impairs
social, educational/occupational, or other vital areas of functioning.

Unspecified tic disorder is one that shows symptoms of two or more of the other
tic disorders. The appearance of symptoms from multiple disorders leads to it
being called unspecified.

II. SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of other specified Tic Disorder

 Tics are classified as either motor or phonic, and further sub-classified as

simple or complex.
 Motor tics involve involuntary movements, while phonic tics involve
utterances.
 Simple tics involve single muscle groups, and complex tics involve more than
one muscle group, sequential motor movements, or complete words or
sentences.

Symptoms starting in adulthood are:

 often associated with potential environmental triggers

 typically more severe
 have a greater social morbidity
 a poorer response to medications

Symptoms of / Reasons for Unspecified Tic Disorder

 Motor tics - facial tics

 Vocal tics - sounds, occasionally swearing
 Social problems
 Academic troubles

III. TREATMENT

Other specified Tic Disorder

The DSM-5 does not specify treatment options for OSTD (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013). To provide the best quality of care, an accurate diagnosis
must be established. If the diagnostic picture is ambiguous, the patient should be
observed further, or another clinician should be consulted. The severity of the tic
must justify the use of pharmacological interventions due to potential side effects.
The first –line medication choices for tics are alpha-adrenergic antagonists, such
as Clonidine, although small doses of antipsychotic medications are also used.

Unspecified Tic Disorder

Even though the word unspecified is in the name of tic disorder there are
treatment options, an online therapy that combines guidance by trained
therapists and group counselling. Depending on the severity of the symptoms of
unspecified tic disorder, treatment options may vary slightly, but they generally
center on speech therapy and counselling to help with emotional support so other
mental disorders don't become a problem.

Reference:

Author: David A. Porter, MA, LADC, https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/other-

specified-tic-disorder-dsm--5-307.20-(f95.9)

https://www.gomentor.com/articles/unspecified-tic-disorder

Harvey S. Singer, MD, http://www.childneurologyfoundation.org/disorders

/tourette-syndrome-and-other-tic-disorders/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21534741
Other Specified Tic Disorder 307.20 (F95.8)

This category applies to presentations in which symptoms

characteristic of a tic disorder that cause clinically significant
distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important
areas of functioning predominate but do not meet the full criteria
for a tic disorder or any of the disorders in the
neurodevelopmental disorders diagnostic class. The other
specified tic disorder category is used in situations in which the
clinician chooses to communicate the specific reason that the
presentation does not meet the criteria for a tic disorder or any
specific neurodevelopmental disorder. This is done by recording
“other specified tic disorder” followed by the specific reason (e.g.,
“with onset after age 18 years”).
Unspecified Tic Disorder

The unspecified tic disorder category is used in situations in which the

clinician chooses not to specify the reason that the criteria are not met for
a tic disorder or for a specific neurodevelopmental disorder, and includes
presentations in which there is insufficient information to make a more
specific diagnosis.