Digital-Supported Delivery of Behavioural Therapy for Patients with Tic Disorders: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND

Behavioural therapy (BT), including Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics (CBIT), is an evidence-based first-line treatment for patients with tic disorders. However, access remains limited due to a shortage of trained providers, geographical barriers, costs, and high treatment burden for patients and families. Rapid advances in digital health technologies including telemedicine, web-based treatment platforms, and mobile applications offer new opportunities to expand access to BT for individuals with tic disorders across the lifespan.

METHODS

For the purpose of this narrative review, we conducted a literature search in PubMed, Europe PMC, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies investigating the effectiveness of digital health treatment approaches in tic disorders.

RESULTS

A total of 16 original studies were included. Although the available evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, existing studies suggest that emerging technologies for delivering behavioural interventions for tic disorders, including telehealth-based CBIT, digital therapy platforms, and app-supported habit reversal training (HRT), are feasible, cost-effective, user-friendly, flexible, and safe. These approaches also appear effective for symptom monitoring and personalized treatment support in both pediatric and adult populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Recent technological advances have the potential to reduce the treatment gap in tic disorders, provided that these approaches are implemented within rigorous, evidence-based, and ethically grounded frameworks.