What Is Tourette Syndrome?
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited disease that affects the nervous system. It is named after the French neurologist Gilles de la Tourette, who was the first to classify and describe the disorder. What was once considered a rare condition, an estimate 200,00 individuals in the US have Tourette's. It affects individuals of all ethnic, gender, and age groups. However, symptoms may start developing between 3 and 9 years of age in a child. Unfortunately, there is no direct cause for TS, but research shows that impairments to parts of the brain such as the basal banglia, frontal lobes, and cortex could be a factor. Another influence may be neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin interfering with brain functioning (Fray & Rowland, 2005).
Sign and symptoms
Symptoms are typically recognized before the age of 18. TS is characterized by habitual body movements and noises. These involuntary actions are often referred to as tics and contain two categories: simple and complex.
Simple tics involve only a few muscles groups while complex tics involve several muscle groups.
Simple motor tics may range from eye movements to shoulder shrugging or face grimacing.
Simple vocal tics include snuffing, grunting, and throat clearing.
Complex motor tics consist of facial grimacing with head twists, touching objects, jumping, bending, and hitting.
Complex vocal tics are identified through more words and phrases.
*Some individuals may experience coprolalia, which is the involuntary use of inappropriate words and remarks. Thus, swearing is fairly common. ( Fray & Rowland, 2005).
Individuals with Tourette Syndrome may also contain other neurological and behavioral problems as well. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are fairly common. OCD is an anxiety disorder marked by unwanted thoughts and behaviors as well as compulsions. Thus, people with TS often perform certain rituals or unusual actions on a daily basis. ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects an individual's learning due to inattentiveness, over activity and impulsive behaviors. Those with TS often get distracted easily or act out in public settings as well on account of the associated disorders (Bronheim, 1991).
It is possible that symptoms may improve in late teenage years or adulthood, but symptoms can worsen if not treated appropriately.
Simple tics involve only a few muscles groups while complex tics involve several muscle groups.
Simple motor tics may range from eye movements to shoulder shrugging or face grimacing.
Simple vocal tics include snuffing, grunting, and throat clearing.
Complex motor tics consist of facial grimacing with head twists, touching objects, jumping, bending, and hitting.
Complex vocal tics are identified through more words and phrases.
*Some individuals may experience coprolalia, which is the involuntary use of inappropriate words and remarks. Thus, swearing is fairly common. ( Fray & Rowland, 2005).
Individuals with Tourette Syndrome may also contain other neurological and behavioral problems as well. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are fairly common. OCD is an anxiety disorder marked by unwanted thoughts and behaviors as well as compulsions. Thus, people with TS often perform certain rituals or unusual actions on a daily basis. ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects an individual's learning due to inattentiveness, over activity and impulsive behaviors. Those with TS often get distracted easily or act out in public settings as well on account of the associated disorders (Bronheim, 1991).
It is possible that symptoms may improve in late teenage years or adulthood, but symptoms can worsen if not treated appropriately.
Diagnosis
There are no official tests that determine if an individual has Tourette Syndrome. Blood or lab tests do not need to be administered--they only eliminate the possibility of containing other conditions. Doctors verifying TS by making sure patients under the age of 18 have vocal and motor tics for at least one year. A more formal diagnosis is made after several symptoms arise (Fray & Rowland, 2005).
Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no cure for TS. Medications can be given to patients, but they only suppress the symptoms. Research shows that there are alternative types of treatment for Tourette's that include relaxation exercises like yoga, behavioral therapies that help lessen severity of OCD, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and the use of drugs such as pimozide, clonidine, and guanfacine to reduce symptoms. Surgical treatment may also be an option. Deep brain stimulation is a risky but alternative procedure that is said to control one's tics (Fray &Rowland, 2005).