Tourette Syndrome: Causes and Symptom

Striclty speaking, Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder or imbalance which often causes involuntary motor, facial, and/or vocal tics in those who have it.

In Other Terms:

If you have ever been walking down the street and seen someone swearing unceasingly, or doing things like constantly blinking his eyes, or any form of odd motor behaviour, the chances are he/she has Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome is a type of neurological disorder which will result in tics, in most cases. These tics are usually motor tics, but in many cases they can also be vocal tics and/or facial. To many people, this affliction is quite humourous, but to those who actually have it, there is nothing funny about it. People with TS are barely able to control their actions, and what is not needed is pestering and harassing. Much of the time, Tourette Syndrome is coupled with either ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), although any solid corelation between the two is very controversial and still debated. A person with ADD usually has a very short attention span and can be restless much of the time. A person with ADHD will have a short attention span, be restless, and be very energetic, and jumpy.

What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette Syndrome is best defined in the archives and pages of neurological and neurobiological conditions, syndromes, and tic disorders. Initially Tourette Syndorme was seen as extremely rare and an individual was viewed as having violent muscle spasms (motor tics) and vocal disruptions (vocal tics) combined with outburst of swearing and obscenities. However in fact, Tourette Syndrome is a much more common genetic condition affecting humanity and many more carry the trait.

Tics are the manifestations of Tourette syndrome. Unlike the common childhood tics that usually vanish within a year, the tics of Tourette's last and last. Tourette tics usually begin between the ages of 5 and 7, peak around age 10, and by age 18 they might begin to diminish. Some patients, however, have them for life.

The tics are involuntary. A child (or adult) might be able to suppress them for a short while, but they come back with a vengeance.

The definition of Tourette Syndrome has changed over time and is not fixed from one person or clinician to another. A definition is intended for clarity among clinicians and researchers. One patients or clinicians definition may not not represent a "thing" that you have.

Tourette Syndrome as defined close to the diagnostic criteria for Tourette's Disorder could be "Tourette Syndrome is a neurobiological condition resulting in motor and vocal tics." - Tsnowwhat

All the above have similar goals, regardless of how they see or understand Tourette's Disorder, and that is to get you the support and information that you will need to deal with Tourette Syndrome for you and your family so that you can live a happy and productive life with joy to the best of your abilities.

Causes of Tourettes Syndrome

The cause of Tourette syndrome is unknown, although some studies suggest that the tics in Tourette syndrome are caused by an increased amount of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. A neurotransmitter is a chemical found in the brain that helps to transmit information from one brain cell to another. Other studies suggest that the defect in Tourette syndrome involves another neurotransmitter called serotonin; or involves other chemicals required for normal functioning of the brain.

Symptom of Tourettes Syndrome

Motor and Vocal Tics

The principal symptoms of Tourette syndrome include simple and complex motor and vocal tics. Simple motor tics are characterized by brief muscle contractions of one or more limited muscle groups. An eye twitch is an example of a simple motor tic. Complex motor tics tend to appear more complicated and purposeful than simple tics, and involve coordinated contractions of several muscle groups. Some examples of complex motor tics include the act of hitting oneself and jumping. Copropraxia, the involuntary display of unacceptable/obscene gestures; and echopraxia, the imitation of the movement of another individual, are other examples of complex motor tics.

Vocal tics are actually manifestations of motor tics that involve the muscles required for vocalization. Simple vocal tics include stuttering, stammering, abnormal emphasis of part of a word or phrase, and inarticulate noises such as throat clearing, grunts, and high-pitched sounds. Complex vocal tics typically involve the involuntary expression of words. Perhaps the most striking example of this is coprolalia, the involuntary expression of obscene words or phrases, which occurs in fewer than one-third of people with Tourette syndrome. The involuntary echoing of the last word, phrase, sentence or sound vocalized by oneself (phalilalia) or of another person or sound in the environment (echolalia) are also classified as complex tics.

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