Intractable chronic motor tics dramatically respond to Clerodendrum inerme (L) Gaertn.

Tics are characterized by involuntary, sudden, rapid, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped movements or phonic productions. Those who suffer from either motor or phonic tics, but not both, for more than 1 year are diagnosed with chronic tic disorder. Several pharmacological interventions have been proposed for the treatment of tic disorder. Dopamine D2 receptor blockers and dopamine depletors are thought to be the most effective ones clinically. However, such treatments are suboptimal in terms of effectiveness and side effects, such as body weight gain and extrapyramidal symptoms. We report on a 13-year-old girl, with chronic motor tic disorder refractory to multiple anti-tic therapies, who showed dramatic improvement and remission after taking the crude leaf extract of Clerodendrum inerme (L) Gaertn. No side effects were observed during a follow-up of more than 2 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the anti-tic effect of Clerodendrum inerme.