The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical symptoms of the tic disorder in children and adolescents and verify the diagnosis of the Tourette's syndrome.

The analysis was conducted on a group of 123 patients at the age of 11.1 +/- 3.2 years, admitted to the Chair and Department of Developmental Neurology to diagnose and treatment of the tic disorder.

Variable tics symptomatology were observed in 53 patients (43,1%). The simple motor tics occurred in 121 patients from the researched group (98,4%), the complex motor tics in 7 cases (5,7%) and the vocal tics in 55 cases (44,7%). The dominant symptoms of simple motor tics in the researched group included: blinking occurring in 67 patients (54,5%) and the head movements occurring in 62 children (50,4%). The complex motor tics were the most frequently manifested by jumping - 4 patients (3,3%). The vocal tics manifested as throat cleaning were observed in 40 patients (32,5%). Coprolalia was observed only in 4 children (3.3%). The obsessive – compulsive disorders occurred in 3 patients (2,4%). In 41 examined patients (33,3%) the co-existence of tics with ADHD symptoms was observed.

The diagnostic criteria of the Tourette's syndrome according to DSM-IV were met by 44 patients (35,8%).

The symptomatology of the tics in children and adolescents are exceptionally rich and the symptoms are highly variable. The Tourette's syndrome is still too seldom recognised as the reason of tics in children and teenagers, despite the patients meeting the diagnostic criteria.