Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41491157›Full record

ArticleArchives of disease in childhood2026

Autism in children and young people with functional tic-like behaviours: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Holan Liang, Chelsea Wu, Morvwen Duncan, Lila Simpson, Abbie Smith, Katie Harrold, Zoe Pearman, Amy Warren, Sara Shavel-Jessop, Tara Murphy and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of disease in childhood, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Holan LiangThe Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK hll20@cam.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-6650-9449
Chelsea WuPopulation, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Morvwen DuncanPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Lila SimpsonPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Abbie SmithPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Katie HarroldPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Zoe PearmanPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Amy WarrenPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Sara Shavel-JessopPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Tara MurphyPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
Isobel HeymanPopulation, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7358-9766
Sacha EvansThe Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Matteo CatanzanoPsychological and Mental Health Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFunctional tic-like behaviours (FTLB) are characterised by multiple, complex, vocal and/or motor tics, typically with adolescent onset. Emerging research highlights neurodevelopmental conditions as vulnerability markers for FTLB development, yet no studies have specifically studied this subgroup. This study (1) investigates the prevalence of autism in young people with FTLB, (2) compares demographic and clinical features between patients with FTLB with and without autism and (3) examines the diagnostic accuracy of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) in identifying autism in this patient group.

methodsThe study comprised 63 children presenting to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Tic Service between August 2020 and May 2022 with an FTLB diagnosis. Demographic and clinical variables were determined through retrospective chart review.

resultsIn the FTLB sample, 69.8% were diagnosed with autism and 37% had Tourette syndrome, both much higher than in the general population. Results indicated that young people with FTLB with and without autism have similar rates of reported impairment, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, but those with autism had higher rates of co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, 61%) and specific learning disorders (27%). The DAWBA demonstrated poor sensitivity (ranging from 0.09 to 0.26) in predicting likelihood of autism in this group.

conclusionsThere is a high prevalence of autism in patients with FTLB. Those with FTLB and autism may be more likely to have ADHD and specific learning disorder compared with those with FTLB alone. Better clinical screening for autism is essential in patients with FTLB as DAWBA is insufficient.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderTic DisordersTicsAdolescentAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceRetrospective StudiesTourette SyndromeAdolescent HealthChild HealthChild PsychiatryMental healthNeurology

Identifiers

PMID41491157
PMCPMC13311980

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.