Tourette syndrome is a nervous system disorder that causes people to make sudden movements or sounds, commonly referred to as tics, which they cannot control. A person with this syndrome may experience tics such as blinking, touching, shouting, and throat clearing. This condition, which typically appears between the ages of 5 and 9, does not heavily impact a person's daily life and in most cases treatment may not be necessary. Treatment aims to bring symptoms and signs under control and manage them.
Tourette syndrome is much more likely to occur in males than in females. Symptoms usually improve with age, and in some people a complete recovery may be seen.
What Are the Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome?
The main symptoms of Tourette syndrome are tics. The tics that occur in the syndrome may follow a course that waxes and wanes over days, weeks or months. Tics can be simple or complex. Simple tics affect one or a few parts of the body, such as blinking or grimacing. Complex tics involve many parts of the body or the saying of words.
Other motor tic symptoms can be listed as follows:
- Eye blinking
- Arm or head jerking
- Raising the eyebrows
- Shoulder shrugging
- Head nodding or neck twisting
- Jumping
- Jaw movements
- Grimacing
- Teeth grinding
The symptoms of vocal tics are as follows:
- Barking or screaming
- Throat clearing
- Coughing
- Sniffing
- Swearing
- Shouting
- Echolalia (repeating other people's sounds, syllables, words or movements)
- Stuttering
In addition to tics, there may be certain conditions and disorders that frequently accompany this condition. These can be listed as follows:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Learning Disability (Dyslexia)
- Anxiety Disorder
- Depression
- Impulse Control Disorder
What Causes Tourette Syndrome?
Although the causes of Tourette syndrome are not fully known, research shows that this condition is associated with a genetic predisposition. The syndrome may also have many different causes. Tourette has been linked to different parts of the brain, including an area called the basal ganglia, which helps control body movements. Differences in this area may affect the nerve cells and the chemicals that carry messages between them.
Research suggests that this disturbance in the nervous system may play a role in Tourette syndrome. The child of a patient with Tourette syndrome has a 50 percent chance of developing the condition. In addition, the condition is found in 5 to 15 percent of patients' first-degree relatives. According to DNA studies, more than one gene is involved in the development of the condition.
Besides genetic factors, it has been observed that stress-inducing factors also trigger tics. Exam anxiety, stress, fatigue, excitement and panic increase the intensity and frequency of tics. Pressure from the family may also cause these tics to increase and negatively affect the child's daily life.
How Is Tourette Syndrome Diagnosed?
There is no specific test that can diagnose Tourette syndrome. The specialist can make the diagnosis based on the patient's complaints and symptoms. Some of the criteria used to diagnose the condition are as follows:
- The patient has both motor tics and vocal tics, although not necessarily at the same time
- The tics have been present for more than one year and occur almost every day or intermittently, several times a day
- The tics began before the age of 18
How Is Tourette Syndrome Treated?
There is no specific method or procedure for the treatment of Tourette syndrome. However, the treatment given to these patients aims to control tics that interfere with daily activities and functioning. When tics are not severe, treatment may not be necessary. However, if the tics are severe enough to harm the individual and their daily life, medication and certain psychotherapy techniques may be applied.