Symptoms exacerbated
Commenting on the findings, Tamara Pringsheim, MD, professor in the department of clinical neurosciences, psychiatry, pediatrics, and community health sciences at the University of Calgary (Alta.), said she also has noticed the impact of increased social media use on young patients with tics during the pandemic.
Dr. Tamara Pringsheim
“Many young people report that seeing other people with tics, or ticlike behaviors, can exacerbate their own symptoms,” said Dr. Pringsheim, who is the university’s program lead on Tourette and pediatric movement disorders.
She noted a principle of the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics, which is a nonpharmacologic technique demonstrated to reduce tic severity, is to identify antecedents or triggers for tics, and to learn to manage them. It might be a good idea to remind young patients of this principle, said Dr. Pringsheim, who was not associated with the current research.
“I suggest to young people who report specific social media content as a trigger for symptoms to recognize the effect of the exposure on their symptoms and make an informed choice about what they view and how much time they spend on social media,” she added.
The study did not receive any outside funding support. Dr. Frey has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.