Nicotine patches may help children control the motor tics associated with Tourette's syndrome, enabling them to reduce their use of powerful tranquilizers that can dull the ability to think.
A team from the University of South Florida College of Medicine studied 70 patients with Tourette's. All received the tranquilizer Haldol; half received a 7-milligram nicotine patch like those sold over the counter and half a placebo patch.
