Name
Functional Tic-Like Behaviors and Social Media Influence on Tics 
Date & Time
Friday, June 12, 2026
Danielle Larson, MD Emily Casletto, MD
Description

In 2020, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a drastic increase in the number of patients with Functional Tic-like Behaviors (FTLBs). A primary factor contributing to the rise of FTLBs was exposure to tics and tic-like behaviors on social media. This presentation will provide an overview of FTLBs and how they differ from organic tic disorders in clinical presentation including tic phenomenology, age of onset, and common comorbidities. Social media's influence on FTLBs and organic tic disorders will also be outlined. The presentation will include a comprehensive literature review of FTLBs and social media's impact on tic disorders as well as results from our single-center survey-based study of patient perspectives on social media, its impact on their tics and/or FTLBs, and patient attitudes toward social media. Through this presentation, participants will feel confident in diagnosing FTLBs and will be able to identify social media's influence on tic presentation.