Phenomenology
 
Sex differences
 
 Baizabal-Carvalho and Jankovic compared phenomenology of tics and comorbidities in males and females with GTS (Baizabal-Carvallo 2022a). Males represented 77.6% of the cohort comprising 201 GTS patients. No differences regarding frequency, distribution and complexity of tics were detected. Males with GTS had higher frequency of ADHD. In children with GTS, males not only had higher rates of ADHD than females, but also had higher frequency of complex motor tics and earlier age at onset than females. These differences were not detected in adults with GTS, since tic complexity increased in females with aging. 
 
Males and females with tics were also compared as part of the EMTICS study (Garcia-Delgar 2022). Males had more severe symptoms than females, except for emotional problems. There was also a statistically significant interaction between sex and age on the severity of tics and compulsions, with females showing higher symptom severity with increasing age than males.
 
Group from the University of Calgary examined clinical phenomenology in males and females with tics based on the Pediatric Tic Registry (Girgis 2022). When comparing both groups, females had more severe motor tics and had higher global severity on the YGTSS. While males were more frequently diagnosed with ADHD, females had significantly higher scores on the Children's Depression Inventory. 
 
Types of tics
 
Video-recordings of 156 patients with GTS were assessed for tic duration in the intent to distinguish between dystonic and tonic tics (Baizabal-Carvallo 2022a). Dystonic tics lasted longer than tonic tics. Furthermore, patients with dystonic tics characterized by older age of onset, older age at evaluation, greater tic severity, more complex tics, and increased risk for being considered for deep brain stimulation (DBS) than patients with tonic tics.
 
The same group of authors evaluated clinical phenomenology and correlations of oculogyric tics (Baizabal-Carvallo 2022). In order to examine this clinical problem, the authors reviewed video-recordings and clinical history of 201 patients with tics. Oculogyric tics were found in 22.4% of patients. When it comes to phenomenology of simple oculogyric tics, the most common manifestation was transient upward gaze, while eye-closure followed by upward and lateral deviations was the most frequent complex oculogyric tic. Patients with oculogyric tics were younger and had higher frequency of cranial tics. No differences in tic severity, the profile of psychiatric comorbidities and the use of antipsychotics were found. 
 
Treatment refractory tics
 
(Li 2022) reported about children with refractory GTS and have found that pediatric refractory GTS is characterized by earlier age of onset, longer disease duration, lower IQ, higher prevalence of PU and higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities.
 
 
Functional tic-like behaviors
 
Fremer et al. (2022) reported about 32 patients with functional tic-like behaviors provoked by social media, including both operationalized psychiatric diagnosis and a psychodynamic focus. Symptoms typically started abruptly at the mean age of 19 years and were gradually deteriorating. In all patients, timely-related psychological stressors, unconscious intrapsychic conflicts, and/or structural deficits were identified. Nearly all patients (94%) suffered from further psychiatric symptoms. The authors concluded that pre-existing abnormalities in social behavior and psychiatric symptoms, but also GTS in combination with timely-related psychological stressors, unconscious intrapsychic conflicts, and structural deficits predispose to development of these symptoms. 
 
(Zea 2022) evaluated tic phenomenology in videos posted on TikTok. Most videos showed coprophenomena, often with unusual characteristics. Frequently, videos depicted aggression, throwing objects, self-injurious behaviors and repetition of long phrases. These videos were later assessed by independent blinded tic experts who concluded that GTS potrayals on highly viewed TikTok videos are not representative or typical for GTS. 
 
(Han 2022) reported the prevalence and clinical characteristics of children with functional tic-like behaviors detected during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the analysis from the single center. There was a significant increase in the percentage of functional tic-like behaviors in 2020 and 2021. In line with other studies, main differences between patients with functional tics characterized by several distinguishing features: predominance of females, later age of onset and higher rates of anxiety and depression. Patients with FTB also characterized with more frequent presence of coprolalia-like behaviors, complex phrases, self-injurious behaviors, higher rates of hospitalizations and school absenteeism. 
 
 
Arbuckle et al. (2022) presented new data regarding functional tics based on the sample from the Washington University of Saint Louis. Symptoms that best distinguished the groups included movements or vocalizations that were dramatically worse in the presence of others, vs. alone, coprophenomena at initial presentation, symptoms that dramatically and persistently disrupt intended actions or communications, and "tic attacks." 
 
Trau et al. (2022) review charts of 198 patients with FTB and proposed diagnostic criteria to separate individuals with tics from those with newly diagnosed FTB, and those with a past typical presentation complicated by a fulminant worsening. Only the presence of rostrocaudal progression and higher rates of OCS were significantly different between patients with new-onset FTB and those with functional worsening of a previous tic disorder. Results also showed that age at tic onset was not a contributing factor for group differentiation. Many patients with FTB were not exposed to videos depicting tics on social media.
 
(Howlett 2022) investigated the prognosis of functional tic-like behaviors in 20 adolescents and 9 adults. Overall, the authors have shown in this prospective study that adolescents have a better prognosis than adults with FTB. As the most effective therapeutic approach treatment of comorbidities with SSRI and CBT was proposed.