Original Article Neuromotor Functioning in Children With Tourette Syndrome With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Neuromotor function was assessed in 94 children of normal intelligence with Tourette syndrome, Tourette syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or ADHD only, using the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS). Time to complete six motor movements was analyzed separately by side (left and right) and complexity (simple and patterned). All groups performed faster on their preferred, dominant side. Although all groups took longer to complete patterned versus simple movements, the group with ADHD had a larger discrepancy for complexity than the other two groups. The speed for simple and patterned tasks was at or faster than age expectations for 54 % of tasks in the group with Tourette syndrome but only 15 % of tasks in the other two groups. More children in the group with Tourette syndrome (76%) than the groups with Tourette syndrome with ADHD (54%) or ADHD only (65%) performed movements within normal time limits for age. Findings suggest that Tourette syndrome is not associated with motor slowing. (J Child Neurol 1997; 12:438-442). Correct responses on timed tasks require the active inte-gration of at least two components of executive function: memory search and response preparation. When compar-ing executive dysfunction in different groups it is essentia