TS 在全球范围内均有报告。[12]Tanner C. Epidemiology. In: Kurlan R, ed. Handbook of Tourette's syndrome and associated tic and behavioral disorders. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2004:399-410.[13]Comings DE, Comings BG. Tourette syndrome: clinical and psychological aspects of 250 cases. Am J Hum Genet. 1985;37:435-450.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1684588/pdf/ajhg00158-0003.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3859204?tool=bestpractice.com男孩与女孩相比患病率更高,比例为 3:1 至 4:1。[14]Tanner CM, Goldman SM. Epidemiology of Tourette syndrome. Neurol Clin. 1997;15:395-402.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9115469?tool=bestpractice.com研究估计 TS 的发病率在 0.3% 到 0.9% 之间。[15]Scharf JM, Miller LL, Gauvin CA, et al. Population prevalence of Tourette syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mov Disord. 2015;30:221-228.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25487709?tool=bestpractice.com由于方法和诊断标准不统一,例如诊断程序差异、存在或不存在精神共病和样本差异,使得报告的患病率存在较大幅度的变化。据估计,在美国年龄为 6 至 17 岁的儿童和青少年中,TS 的发病率为 3.0 /1000。[16]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence of diagnosed Tourette syndrome in persons aged 6-17 years - United States. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009;58:581-585.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19498335?tool=bestpractice.com在英国的学龄儿童中,TS 的发病率为 1/100,而且大多数患者只有轻度症状。在英国大约有 300,000 名儿童和成人患有该疾病。[17]Tourette's Action (UK). What is Tourette syndrome? 2013. http://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/ (last accessed 25 July 2016).http://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/67-what-is-ts.html?17
大多数患者具有行为和精神共病症状或障碍;据报告称,在所有年龄段的患者中,仅有 12% 只存在抽搐而无其他相关病症。[7]Freeman RD, Fast DK, Burd L, et al. An international perspective on Tourette syndrome: selected findings from 3,500 individuals in 22 countries. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2000;42:436-447.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10972415?tool=bestpractice.com由全球数据集可知,ADHD 是最常见的共病精神障碍,约占异常行为表现的 55%。[18]Freeman RD; Tourette Syndrome International DatabaseConsortium. Tic disorders and ADHD: answers from a world-wide clinical dataset on Tourette syndrome. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007;16(suppl 1):15S-23S.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17665279?tool=bestpractice.com