Tourette’s Syndrome - Causes, Symptoms, Prognosis
Tourette’s Syndrome (also known as Tourette’s Disorder) is a fairly common childhood-onset condition that may be associated with features of many other conditions. Thus, what started as a site for parents and educators on Tourette’s Syndrome expanded to include other conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, non-OCD anxiety disorders, Executive Dysfunction, depression, Bipolar Disorder, autism spectrum disorders including Asperger’s Disorder, ‘rage attacks,’ sensory integration issues, and sleep disorders.If you have Tourette syndrome, you make unusual movements or sounds, called tics. You have little or no control over them. Common tics are throat-clearing and blinking. You may repeat words, spin, or, rarely, blurt out swear words.
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by motor and phonic (vocal) tics. It is often associated with behavior disorders, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These behavior disorders often accompany the tics and may dominate the clinical picture in some patients.
Causes
The exact cause of Tourette’s is unknown, but it is well established that both genetic and environmental factors are involved. Genetic studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of cases of Tourette’s are inherited, although the exact mode of inheritance is not yet known, and no gene has been identified. In some cases, tics may not be inherited; these cases are identified as “sporadic” Tourette syndrome (also known as tourettism) because a genetic link is missing.
Symptoms
Tourette’s Syndrome symptoms typically appear before the age of 18 and the condition occurs in all ethnic groups with males affected 3 to 4 times more often than females. 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, impulsiveness and learning disabilities.
The general symptoms of Tourette Syndrome can be divided into motor, vocal, and behavioral manifestations. Though the behavioral manifestations are not essentially listed in the DSM as diagnostic criteria, there are those that believe behaviors like ADHD and OCD are common enough to be considered a co-morbid condition to Tourette Syndrome. The DSM does make note of this
Treatment
There is no cure for Tourette syndrome. Treatment involves the control of symptoms through educational and psychological interventions and/or medications. The treatment and management of Tourette syndrome varies from patient to patient and should focus on the alleviation of the symptoms that are most bothersome to the patient or that cause the most interference with daily functioning.
Prognosis
Although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood. As a result, some individuals may actually become symptom free or no longer need medication for tic suppression.
