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Coprolalia

MedGen UID:
68575
•Concept ID:
C0233729
•
Finding
Synonyms: Coprophrasia; Corprolalia
SNOMED CT: Coprolalia (13446000); Coprophrasia (13446000)
 
HPO: HP:0430112

Definition

Coprolalia denotes the involuntary utterance of obscenities. Intent is an important classifier in coprolalic behaviors, and unfortunately it remains unclear how to objectively distinguish coprolalia from common swearing. [from HPO]

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Testing the specificity of phenomenological criteria for functional tic-like behaviours in youth with Tourette syndrome.
Nilles C, Martino D, Pringsheim T
Eur J Neurol 2024 Jun;31(6):e16262. Epub 2024 Feb 23 doi: 10.1111/ene.16262. PMID: 38400635
Rapid onset functional tic-like behaviours in children and adolescents during COVID-19: Clinical features, assessment and biopsychosocial treatment approach.
Han VX, Kozlowska K, Kothur K, Lorentzos M, Wong WK, Mohammad SS, Savage B, Chudleigh C, Dale RC
J Paediatr Child Health 2022 Jul;58(7):1181-1187. Epub 2022 Mar 5 doi: 10.1111/jpc.15932. PMID: 35247213Free PMC Article
Treatment of tics associated with Tourette syndrome.
Jankovic J
J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2020 May;127(5):843-850. Epub 2020 Jan 18 doi: 10.1007/s00702-019-02105-w. PMID: 31955299

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Ictal coprolalia occurs due to the activation of the temporal-orbitofrontal network in patients with epilepsy.
Xu C, Ma K, Zhang X, Yu T, Zhang G, Wang Y, Li Y
J Neurol Sci 2020 Feb 15;409:116634. Epub 2019 Dec 14 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116634. PMID: 31864073
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
Robertson MM, Eapen V, Singer HS, Martino D, Scharf JM, Paschou P, Roessner V, Woods DW, Hariz M, Mathews CA, Črnčec R, Leckman JF
Nat Rev Dis Primers 2017 Feb 2;3:16097. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.97. PMID: 28150698
"I swear it is Tourette's!": On functional coprolalia and other tic-like vocalizations.
Ganos C, Edwards MJ, Müller-Vahl K
Psychiatry Res 2016 Dec 30;246:821-826. Epub 2016 Oct 17 doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.021. PMID: 27825787
Coprolalia as a manifestation of epileptic seizures.
Massot-Tarrús A, Mousavi SR, Dove C, Hayman-Abello S S, Hayman-Abello B, Derry PA, Diosy DC, McLachlan RS, Burneo JG, Steven DA, Mirsattari SM
Epilepsy Behav 2016 Jul;60:99-106. Epub 2016 May 16 doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.04.040. PMID: 27195785
Malignant Tourette syndrome.
Cheung MY, Shahed J, Jankovic J
Mov Disord 2007 Sep 15;22(12):1743-50. doi: 10.1002/mds.21599. PMID: 17566119

Diagnosis

Tourette's syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding.
Freeman-Ferguson M
Nurs Child Young People 2022 Sep 1;34(5):34-42. Epub 2022 Mar 21 doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2022.e1416. PMID: 35312241
Ictal coprolalia occurs due to the activation of the temporal-orbitofrontal network in patients with epilepsy.
Xu C, Ma K, Zhang X, Yu T, Zhang G, Wang Y, Li Y
J Neurol Sci 2020 Feb 15;409:116634. Epub 2019 Dec 14 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116634. PMID: 31864073
"I swear it is Tourette's!": On functional coprolalia and other tic-like vocalizations.
Ganos C, Edwards MJ, Müller-Vahl K
Psychiatry Res 2016 Dec 30;246:821-826. Epub 2016 Oct 17 doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.021. PMID: 27825787
"Dude, you don't have Tourette's:" Tourette's syndrome, beyond the tics.
Schapiro NA
Pediatr Nurs 2002 May-Jun;28(3):243-6, 249-53. PMID: 12087644
Tourette syndrome. Coprolalia and other coprophenomena.
Singer C
Neurol Clin 1997 May;15(2):299-308. doi: 10.1016/s0733-8619(05)70314-5. PMID: 9115463

Therapy

The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok.
Zea Vera A, Bruce A, Garris J, Tochen L, Bhatia P, Lehman RK, Lopez W, Wu SW, Gilbert DL
Pediatr Neurol 2022 May;130:14-20. Epub 2022 Feb 26 doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.02.003. PMID: 35303587
Antipsychotic-Associated Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome: A Systematic Review.
Kim DD, Barr AM, Chung Y, Yuen JWY, Etminan M, Carleton BC, White RF, Honer WG, Procyshyn RM
CNS Drugs 2018 Oct;32(10):917-938. doi: 10.1007/s40263-018-0559-8. PMID: 30121819
Aripiprazole: a treatment for severe coprolalia in "refractory" Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
Ben Djebara M, Worbe Y, Schüpbach M, Hartmann A
Mov Disord 2008 Feb 15;23(3):438-40. doi: 10.1002/mds.21859. PMID: 18067182
Differences in clinical characteristics between Tourette syndrome patients with and without 'generalized tics' or coprolalia.
Kano Y, Ohta M, Nagai Y
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1997 Dec;51(6):357-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1997.tb02599.x. PMID: 9472118
Motor, behavioral and pharmacologic findings in Tourette's syndrome.
Jankovic J, Rohaidy H
Can J Neurol Sci 1987 Aug;14(3 Suppl):541-6. doi: 10.1017/s0317167100038087. PMID: 2890426

Prognosis

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
Robertson MM, Eapen V, Singer HS, Martino D, Scharf JM, Paschou P, Roessner V, Woods DW, Hariz M, Mathews CA, Črnčec R, Leckman JF
Nat Rev Dis Primers 2017 Feb 2;3:16097. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.97. PMID: 28150698
"I swear it is Tourette's!": On functional coprolalia and other tic-like vocalizations.
Ganos C, Edwards MJ, Müller-Vahl K
Psychiatry Res 2016 Dec 30;246:821-826. Epub 2016 Oct 17 doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.021. PMID: 27825787
Tourette syndrome, co-morbidities and quality of life.
Eapen V, Snedden C, Črnčec R, Pick A, Sachdev P
Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2016 Jan;50(1):82-93. Epub 2015 Jul 13 doi: 10.1177/0004867415594429. PMID: 26169656
Coprophenomena in Tourette syndrome.
Freeman RD, Zinner SH, Müller-Vahl KR, Fast DK, Burd LJ, Kano Y, Rothenberger A, Roessner V, Kerbeshian J, Stern JS, Jankovic J, Loughin T, Janik P, Shady G, Robertson MM, Lang AE, Budman C, Magor A, Bruun R, Berlin CM Jr
Dev Med Child Neurol 2009 Mar;51(3):218-27. Epub 2008 Dec 4 doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03135.x. PMID: 19183216
"Dude, you don't have Tourette's:" Tourette's syndrome, beyond the tics.
Schapiro NA
Pediatr Nurs 2002 May-Jun;28(3):243-6, 249-53. PMID: 12087644

Clinical prediction guides

The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok.
Zea Vera A, Bruce A, Garris J, Tochen L, Bhatia P, Lehman RK, Lopez W, Wu SW, Gilbert DL
Pediatr Neurol 2022 May;130:14-20. Epub 2022 Feb 26 doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.02.003. PMID: 35303587
Self-injurious behavior in Tourette syndrome.
Baizabal-Carvallo JF, Alonso-Juarez M, Jankovic J
J Neurol 2022 May;269(5):2453-2459. Epub 2021 Oct 1 doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10822-0. PMID: 34596744
Rapid onset of functional tic-like behaviours in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pringsheim T, Martino D
Eur J Neurol 2021 Nov;28(11):3805-3808. Epub 2021 Aug 4 doi: 10.1111/ene.15034. PMID: 34293224Free PMC Article
Identification of Two Heritable Cross-Disorder Endophenotypes for Tourette Syndrome.
Darrow SM, Hirschtritt ME, Davis LK, Illmann C, Osiecki L, Grados M, Sandor P, Dion Y, King R, Pauls D, Budman CL, Cath DC, Greenberg E, Lyon GJ, Yu D, McGrath LM, McMahon WM, Lee PC, Delucchi KL, Scharf JM, Mathews CA; Tourette Syndrome Association International Consortium for Genetics
Am J Psychiatry 2017 Apr 1;174(4):387-396. Epub 2016 Nov 4 doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16020240. PMID: 27809572Free PMC Article
Tourette syndrome, co-morbidities and quality of life.
Eapen V, Snedden C, Črnčec R, Pick A, Sachdev P
Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2016 Jan;50(1):82-93. Epub 2015 Jul 13 doi: 10.1177/0004867415594429. PMID: 26169656

Recent systematic reviews

Antipsychotic-Associated Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome: A Systematic Review.
Kim DD, Barr AM, Chung Y, Yuen JWY, Etminan M, Carleton BC, White RF, Honer WG, Procyshyn RM
CNS Drugs 2018 Oct;32(10):917-938. doi: 10.1007/s40263-018-0559-8. PMID: 30121819

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