Treatment of Tourette syndrome
Habit reversal training (HRT), massed negative practice, biofeedback, relaxation, hypnosis and other behavioral approaches are proposed as alternative treatments of tics, but few have been well assessed. Relaxation techniques, such as exercise, yoga or meditation, may be useful in relieving stress that may aggravate tics, but the majority of behavioral interventions (such as relaxation training and biofeedback, with the exception of habit reversal) have not been systematically evaluated and are not proven therapies for Tourette's.
Tourette Association of America
The TAA "has been the major driving force in scientific and clinical progress relevant to TS", using its resources to encourage research and scientific initiatives, and working tirelessly to promote information about TS. It has worked for recognition of Tourette syndrome as an organic disorder, lobbying the public, the government, and physicians. It is adept at winning grants and shaping media treatment of the condition. Since its inception, research spurred by the TAA has grown in volume and sophistication, including controlled treatment studies and studies of pathophysiology and etiology. Many new research findings are the direct result of the TSA's "active facilitation of large collaborative research consortia in genetics, neuro-imaging, clinical trials, and the behavioral sciences", and their "concerted effort to identify current research advances, disseminate them among the scientific and clinical communities, and establish networks of basic and clinical scientists from all over the world".