What is Tourette Syndrome?
This Neurological Illness Causes Involuntary Movements, or Tics
Tourette's, a neurological illness, causes involuntary movements or vocalizations called "tics." It usually manifests itself in childhood and can lessen with age.
What is Tourette Syndrome?
Tourette syndrome, named after the French neurologist Georges Gilles de la Tourette, is a neurological illness that involves involuntary movements and vocalizations (spoken words) named "tics." These tics can be repetitive or singular, and they are difficult for patients to suppress.
Tourette symptoms usually manifest themselves in childhood (between ages 7 and 10.) The teen years can be the worst time for symptoms, but in a majority of cases, symptoms lessen as patients reach adulthood. About 10% of patients have a more severe form of Tourette's that continues in intensity thoughout their lives.
Tourette syndrome is not degenerative (or causing a decline in function), but it is thought to be genetic. Tourette's seems to stem from abnormalities in the brain, including problems with neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, and seratonin.)
Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome
- shoulder jerking
- shoulder shrugging
- head jerking
- eye blinking/twitching
- facial twitching/cringing
- throat clearing
- grunting
- swearing
- sniffing
- repeating others' words
- barking
- hopping/jumping
- twisting/bending
- complex variations of more than one tic
Symptoms can manifest themselves during periods of psychological stress or physical discomfort, brought on by such things as tight neck collars, confining clothing, or even by hearing others sniff or make certain sounds. Sleep seems to diminish Tourette urges, and fatigue can cause them.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Tourette Syndrome
How is Tourette's diagnosed? It usually becomes a matter of ruling out other neurological illnesses. No specific blood or lab tests exist for Tourette syndrome. Doctors generally diagnose the disorder after a year or more of physical and/or verbal tics with no other neurological causes. Unusual cases of Tourette syndrome, such as those with adult onset, may need further neurological imaging exams to rule out other disorders.
Treatment for Tourette's varies. Many people need no medications because tics are not disruptive or severe. For more pronounced cases, certain drugs called neuroleptics can be prescribed. Still, no drugs are perfect for everyone. Some symptoms may not be suppressed, and side-effects can range from fatigue to brain fog to weight gain. Too much of the neuroleptic medications can cause Parkinsonian-like symptoms (rigidity and tremor.) Correcting drug dosage can fix these problems.
Current Research for Tourette Syndrome
The areas of current Tourette syndrome research include genetics,advanced neuroimaging, clinical trials, neuropathology, and epidimiology. The increase in genetic knowledge will allow for predetermining disease risk factors and bettering curent genetic counseling. Neuroimaging (brain MRIs, etc.) can determine if Tourette's leaves physical evidence (lesions and such) in the brain. Clinical trials pave the way for better medications. Neuropathology is the study of the brains of deceased patients, and it again helps to determine whether Tourette syndrome leaves physical clues. Finally, epidimiology, or the study of diseases in different populations, helps to determine whether Tourette syndrome can be environmentally triggered.
***For further reference: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.htm
***For related neurological information, check out Tourette Syndrome's Relatives, the Neurological ARTICLE INDEX , and Blog.
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