Tourette's Syndrome: Much More Than Tics

1593 Words4 Pages

Tourette’s syndrome is an interesting disorder that is continuously being investigated and conducted with experimental research today. The underlying causes are still currently being determined by doctors and researchers and there is not one specific cause that can be linked to such disorder. The unpredictability of symptoms displayed with the syndrome and the comorbidity of other related disorders make it much more complicated to treat. Although there are many factors that contribute to this psychological condition, only time will tell whether treatments and drugs can help tackle Tourette’s once and for all. With that being said, things to be explored in this paper will include how to clinically assess Tourette’s syndrome, different biological, environmental and genetic factors, along with research and treatments being performed to those suffering from Tourette’s.

To begin, what is Tourette’s syndrome? According to the DSM-V, Tourette’s syndrome is defined as a neurological disorder characterized by the presence of involuntary movements of muscles or verbal utterances and sounds. Common symptoms usually include, “the presence of multiple motor and at one or more vocal tics may be present, but do not have to occur simultaneously. Tics may wax and wane in frequency, but must have persisted for more than one year since first tic onset. The disorder must onset before the age of eighteen. Tics cannot be due to a medical condition or from direct use of a substance” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The full name, known as Gilles de la Tourette’s Syndrome, was named after French neurologist Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who initially described the medical symptoms for this condition in 1885.

“Tics” are defined as repeated,...

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...ng, L., Anyuan, L., Shuzhen, W., Fanghua, Q., Lin, Z., & Hong, L. (2010). Abnormal expression of dopamine and serotonin transporters associated with the pathophysiologic mechanism of Tourette syndrome. Neurology India, 58(4), 523-529. doi:10.4103/0028-3886.68663

Leckman, J. (2002). Tourette's syndrome. Lancet, 360(9345), 1577-1586.

Mell, L. K., Davis, R.L., & Owens, D. (2005). Association Between Streptococcal Infection and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, and Tic Disorder. Pediatrics 116 (1), 56-60. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-2058

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