Sensory tics in Tourette's syndrome.

Sensory tics are localized uncomfortable sensations for which patients attempt to obtain relief by producing movements or vocalizations. We report 3 patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and sensory tics to illustrate this poorly recognized symptom. A survey of 34 randomly selected TS patients indicates that sensory tics are common and should be considered part of a clinical spectrum of tics and associated sensory phenomena.