Tourette Syndrome - HBO & Tourette Syndrome Association

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (Tourette Syndrome or TS) is a neurological disorder which becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence between the ages of 2 and 15. Tourette syndrome is defined by multiple motor and vocal tics lasting for more than one year. Many people have only motor tics or only vocal tics. 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.

These involuntary (outside the patient's control) tics may also be complicated, involving the entire body, such as kicking and stamping. Many persons report what are described as premonitory urges -- the urge to perform a motor activity. Other symptoms such as touching, repetitive thoughts and movements and compulsions can occur.

There are also verbal tics. These verbal tics (vocalizations) usually occur with the movements; later they may replace one or more motor tics. These vocalizations include grunting, throat clearing, shouting and barking. The verbal tics may also be expressed as coprolalia (the involuntary use of obscene words or socially inappropriate words and phrases) or copropraxia (obscene gestures). Despite widespread publicity, coprolalia/copropraxia is uncommon with tic disorders.

Neither echolalia (echo speech) or coprolalia/copropraxia is necessary for the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. All patients have involuntary movements and some have vocalizations. Echo phenomena are also reported, although less frequently. These may include repeating word of others (echolalia), repeating ones own words (palilalia), and repeating movements of others.

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. Persons with TS can be found in all professions. A goal of TSA is to educate both patients and the public of the many facets of tic disorders. Increased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to people with Tourette Syndrome.

The disorder was named for a French neuropsychiatrist who successfully assessed the disorder in the late 1800's:


Georges Gilles de la Tourette
Georges Gilles de la Tourette (born Georges Albert Edouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette!) in 1857
was a French physician (today he would be described as a neurologist) who made several valuable contributions to medicine and literature. The first reported case of Tourette syndrome was by another
French doctor named Itard in 1825. Dr. Itard described the case of Marquise de Dampierre, a woman
of nobility who was quite an important person in her time. In 1885 Dr. de la Tourette described nine patients with the syndrome of multiple motor and vocal tics. His major contribution was to define these patients as having a movement disorder that now bears his name.

Category:

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• neurology
• tourette
• syndrome

[ladycharsw]

Thanks for the video. It shows people things some people do not know!! I am a young senior lady Fresno, Cal It is good to know things about different thin gs in life. One of my sons might have had that or something maybe heard a voice told hiom to do crazy things!!

[deeboy987]

I thought i was alone. im 13 and every one laughs at me at school cause i have to blink my eyes. But im not crazy,i cant help it

[therhythmslave1]

Sweethearts!!!

[therhythmslave1]

@DookyWTF All of them make me cry !!!

[HowAboutAHug]

My sister has Tourette and in the beginning, it was embarassing to me that my sister wasn't normal but now I have overcome it and help her to be stronger, and beat up some kids who called her a monster, a freak, retard... breaks my heart to realize how cruel and heartless people can be. They're people too ! She may have Tourettes, but Tourettes doesn't have her.

[pixie1310]

my 3 year old suffers from tics:( very sad.

[ajmlilman]

The kind at the end remindds me of Talahasee from Zombieland

[ThirstyDad65]

i get this shit when i smoke da herb. peace out my niggas, one love.

[Mrgreatestfreakout]

honestly these kids are pretty funny to me cause i'm watching this after watching south park lol

[TheFeralFlicks]

@wolfwolfenstein

He doesn't know you care about him, yet you're posting about him on the Internet. Wow, lady, having a keyboard doesn't make you hot shit. And only disabilities make you feel any form of empathy? I'm sure he also likes ridicule, asshole.