Hi Jeff -
Coming out of TIPS retirement. . .
David E. Comings writes in his book, Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior,
Hope press, Durante, CA, 1990:
" . . .However, even from the first descriptions of the disorder it was
clear that not all patients had coprolalia. In early reports, where many of
the cases were severe, it was present in about 60 percent of patients. In
later series, where many milder cases were included, its frequency drops to
between 8 percent and 33 percent."
Another factor (i.e. other than severity) that seems to differentiate
between studies that cite lower versus higher percentages of incidence is
whether data are collected cross-sectionally or longitudinally. I know of
several studies reporting the 60% incidence rate. One is a cross-cultural
study, including U.S., France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, India, and
several Eastern Europeon countries (total n approx. 300) [F. Abuzzahab Sr.,
F., Anderson, Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome: International Registry,
Minnesota Medicine, June (1973), pp. 492-496. and F. Abuzzahab Sr., F.,
Anderson, Current knowledge of the syndrome, in: F. Abuzzahab Sr., F.,
Anderson, (Eds.) Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome, Vol. 1, International
Registry, St. Paul, Mason Publishing, 1976, pp. 169-183.]
Another two studies were conducted in Hong Kong (n=5 and 18). [Lieh-Mak, F.,
Luk. . . Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: report of 5 cases in the Chinese,
British J. of Psychiatry, 1979, 134: 630-634. and F. Lieh-Mak, S.Y. Chung,
P. Lee, . . . , Tourette syndrome in the Chinese: A follow-up of 15 cases,
in: A.J. Friedhoff, T.N. Chase (Eds.) Gilles dela Tourette Syndrome, Raven
Press, NY, 1982, 281-283. ]
So, it may be that increased incidence of coprolalia is reported in studies
of individuals with severe symptomology and those measured longitudinally.
(?)
Sandra Nagel Randall
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI
Jeff Ricker wrote:
> I have been discussing Tourette's Disorder (a disorder in which there
> are motor and vocal tics) in my abnormal-psychology course. A couple
> weeks ago, Michael Kane mentioned that coprolalia (obscene language that
> is felt to be uncontrollable) is rare in this disorder. I have seen
> estimates of 10-15%. On the other hand, the _Textbook of Psychiatry_
> (3rd edition), published lat year by the American Psychiatric Press,
> indicates that coprolalia occurs in 60% of people with Tourette's
> Disorder (page 907, in a chapter written by Charles Popper and Scott
> West). This figure also was in the 2nd edition (1994), but I thought it
> was merely a typographical error. The fact that the same percentage has
> reappeared in the 3rd edition makes me wonder where they might be
> getting this estimate. Can anyone help to clarify this discrepancy
> between the widely cited 10% and the much less widely cited 60%?
>
> Jeff
>
> P.S. I have a subclinical case of Tourette's Disorder, but I never feel
> an uncontrollable urge to swear except after reading occasional posts to
> TIPS.
>
> --
> Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
> 9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
> Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Scottsdale Community College
> Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
>
> "The truth is rare and never simple."
> Oscar Wilde
>
> "Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths"
> Karl Popper
