Tourette Syndrome
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (Tourette Syndrome or TS) is a neurological disorder which becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence before the age of 18 years. Tourette syndrome is defined by multiple motor and vocal tics lasting for more than one year. The first symptoms usually are involuntary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. These tics are frequent, repetitive and rapid. The most common first symptom is a facial tic (eye blink, nose twitch, grimace), and is replaced or added to by other tics of the neck, trunk, and limbs.
Although the symptoms of TS vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Associated conditions can include attentional problems (ADHD/ADD, impulsiveness (and oppositional defiant disorder), obsessional compulsive behavior, and learning disabilities. There is usually a family history of tics, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, OCD. Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders occur in all ethnic groups. Males are affected 3 to 4 times more often than females.
Most people with TS and other tic disorders will lead productive lives. There are no barriers to achievement in their personal and professional lives.
What's New
Articles from the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome: Where Are We Now?
- Neurobiological Substrates of Tourette’s Disorder
- An Overview of the Treatment of Tourette’s Disorder and Tics
- Tic Suppression: The Medical Model
- Treatment of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Review
- The Immunobiology of Tourette’s Disorder, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated
with Streptococcus, and Related Disorders: A Way Forward
