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Tourette’s Syndrome

Tourette’s Syndrome. What is Tourette’s?. Neurological disorder Characterized by: Repetitive involuntary movements called tics Obscene language is manifested in only 15% of patients. Symptoms. Noticed first in early childhood Tics classified either simple or complex

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Tourette’s Syndrome

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  1. Tourette’s Syndrome

  2. What is Tourette’s? • Neurological disorder • Characterized by: • Repetitive involuntary movements called tics • Obscene language is manifested in only 15% of patients

  3. Symptoms • Noticed first in early childhood • Tics classified either simple or complex • Simple: eye blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, or head jerking • Complex: facial grimacing combined with head twist and shoulder shrug • Most common are: eye blinking, head jerking, throat clearing, sniffing and tongue clicking

  4. Tics • Often worse with excitement or anxiety • Better during calm, focused activities • Experiences can trigger tics: • Collars on shirts may trigger neck tics • Hearing another person cough may trigger similar sounds • Tics do not go away when sleeping but they are diminished

  5. Occurrences • Tics come and go over time • First symptoms usually occur in the head and neck area

  6. Can people control their tics? • Symptoms are involuntary, can suppress, camouflage or manage their tics • Patients report build up tension when suppressing tics: • Tic must then be expressed

  7. Causes • Cause of tourette’s is unknown: • Research points to abnormalities in brain regions • Inherited disorder • Many genes with smaller effects and environmental factors may play a role in TS

  8. Disorders associated with TS • ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder • Problems with reading, writing, math • Obsessive - compulsive symptoms • Depressions, anxiety problems

  9. Diagnosis • Diagnosed after symptoms persist for 1 year • Common tics are often misdiagnosed • No blood or lab tests needed for diagnosis • Use MRI, CT, EEG scans to diagnose

  10. Treatment • Medications are available for patients who cannot function correctly: • Medications vary from person to person • Psychotherapy: Help patient cope with TS

  11. Prognosis • No cure for TS • Symptoms get better for patients in late teens or early adulthood • Only 10% of patients have disabling tics that last into adulthood

  12. Do children have special needs? • Same IQ range as other children without TS • Help by teachers should include: • Using tape recorders • Computers to assist reading and writing

  13. What kind of future do TS patients have? • Lead productive lives • Have normal life span • May reach high levels of achievement

  14. Sources • www.tsa-usa.org • www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.html • http://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/ • http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-gtor.html

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