Tourette Syndrome Basics
What is Tourette syndrome?
Tourette syndrome is a disorder, neurological disorder, a brain emanating disorder, that includes both motor and vocal tics which change over time.
What is the history of Tourette syndrome?
The name Tourette syndrome comes from a French physician, neurologist, Gilles de la Tourette, who first synthesized the notion of a distinct syndrome of people having both motor and vocal tics. The analysis of Tourette syndrome has continued over the years, with some work trying to identify the pathophysiology, how this could get transmitted to people, how do people get it, for example, and more recently, developing therapies for the treatment of Tourette syndrome.
What behaviors are associated with Tourette syndrome?
People with Tourette's Syndrome may have associated behavioral issues. Obsessive-compulsive behavior is thought to be a manifestation of Tourette's Syndrome. This may show itself in repetitive behaviors such as hand-washing, obsessive thinking or dwelling on negative thoughts or frightening thoughts.
How many people have Tourette syndrome?
The exact numbers are really not known. It's thought to be relatively common. The studies suggest, they vary, the results vary, but studies suggest that maybe 1 -3% of children have symptoms that fit that diagnosis. The exact number of people who have Tourettes Syndrome is not known because many of these people may never come to medical attention because symptoms are relatively mild. The people who do seek medical attention are those who are more severely affected. And still those numbers are not exactly known. It's thought that Tourettes Syndrome in general is relatively common. But the more severe cases are probably the minority overall of people who have Tourettes Syndrome.
What is the progression of Tourette syndrome?
The natural history of Tourette's Syndrome is that it does wax and wane in terms of the manifestation of tic, both motor and vocal tics, so they may subside or be much reduced for quite some time and then come back for reasons that are not really definable. That is the nature of Tourette's Syndrome itself, this changeability and waxing and waning character. And, in some cases, as one grows older, into the late teens and twenties, the tics may subside and not be troubling. There are adults who had tics or Tourette's syndrome in childhood who would report in their adult life that it's not really troubling at all to them as they've grown older.
Who is most at risk for getting Tourette syndrome?
People with a history of tic or related disorders are most at risk for getting Tourette syndrome. If there's a family history of Tourette syndrome or tic disorder or obssessive compulsive behavior, that may all be coming from the same gene or genetic transmission. These people and their family are going to be at greater risk than somebody who does not have a family history of tic or Tourette syndrome. When I see somebody with Tourettes I ask very carefully about family history, and if I don't find any I'm always suspicious. Somebody is either diagnosed or undiagnosed, or it's been manifested in some other way that's not associated with tic.
How frequently will Tourette syndrome or tic occur?
The appearance of tic is highly variable. They can come and may trouble people for a while, and subside and be virtually gone also for long periods of time. The nature of Tourette syndrome actually includes waxing and waning over time. People will find it increasing for a period of time and then subsiding. And it may increase for days or weeks or months and sometimes even years and then subside for a similar amount of time. It's highly variable from person to person. It's quite conceivable that somebody with Tourettes has a very low level of symptoms and only during moments of stress or fatigue they come out and are evident. And these sorts of people, who may not be picking up on some of these studies of how frequently this occur in their population, have a low level of tic and it's not really troubling enough to seek medical attention.