Tourette Syndrome
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable tics. The symptoms typically appear during childhood or adolescence. Most of the time, they become controllable or even disappear by adulthood.
Causes and triggers
It is not known what causes Tourette syndrome. Several theories suggest genetic factors and brain function or structure diffrences may play a role. What we do know, however, is that boys and people with a family history of the syndrome are at higher risk to have it.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Tourette syndrome are characterized by tics. They are classified as physical (motor) and vocal, which can be simple or complex. This classification helps better understand the condition, and find the best treatment. Some tics can be the symptoms of something else. People having Tourette syndrome experience both motor and vocal tics. Tics also last for more than a year and change over time in intensity, type and frequency. Here are a few examples:
| Motor tics | |
|---|---|
| Simple | Complex |
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| Vocal tics (phonic) | |
|---|---|
| Simple | Complex |
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Anxiety, stress, fatigue and excitement can increase the incidence of tics. On the other hand, sleep, relaxation and concentration seem to reduce their frequency, even if they can still occur at any time. It may be possible to suppress a tic for a few minutes, but it is almost impossible to completely prevent it from happening. Some people with Tourette syndrome compare it to holding back a sneeze. Suppressing tics may cause them to intensify.
Other symptoms can present with tics. In fact, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder may be associated with tics. The following symptoms may also be observed:
- anxiety
- temper tantrums
- depression
- impulsiveness
- learning difficulties
- sleep disorder
The first signs of Tourette syndrome are generally simple motor tics that appear during childhood. They can begin as early as 2 years old, or later around 15 years old. Adolescence is a difficult stage and tics may intensify and become more frequent during this period. It should be noted, however, that tics are intermittent. There may be long periods during which time no tics occur. Many affected people see their symptoms disappear as they reach adulthood, while others see a significant improvement. Some, however, do not experience any changes.
Treatment
The treatment for Tourette syndrome aims to reduce the symptoms but cannot completely eliminate them. A combination of drugs is often used to treat the tics and other associated disorders (if present) such as hyperactivity, attention deficit or depression.
Psychotherapy is also recommended. Social integration and self-esteem are indeed often more difficult to people with Tourette syndrome. Psychotherapy can help manage this aspect of the disorder, for both the person with the syndrome and their loved ones.