Tourette Syndrome, Its causes, Symptoms and Possible treatment

What is Tourette Syndrome?

Often mistakenly referred to as Turrets Sundrome, it is a neurological disease that impacts the central nervous system of a person. It normally affects young people and often goes away in later years. About one out of every 100 people is said to be affected with this disorder. Teenagers are often found to develop this disorder. The condition is more common in boys than girls.

The disease often occurs with other psychological conditions like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Depression.

History of Tourette Syndrome:

This medical condition was first diagnosed in 1825 by Dr Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist. In 1885, he published an account of the syndrome in nine of his patients. As he was the pioneer in describing the disorder, it has been named after him.

Tourettes Syndrome Symptoms:

This complex neurological disorder is characterized by some peculiar symptoms. The oddity of these symptoms made many people look upon the disease as a bizarre condition.

Motor tics:

This condition is mainly characterized by involuntary muscular movements. The movements are most prominently visible in the face even though other parts of the body are also affected. A Tourettes sufferer constantly grimaces, jerks his shoulders, clicks his tooth or moves his limbs.

The patient can stop it only for a while but not for extended periods. These tics or twitches are called motor tics. These are often misinterpreted by other people who think that the person is making faces at them. Sometimes the patient may even touch other people. In rare cases, the tics may evolve into self-injurious actions like lip-biting or excessive scratching.

Vocal tics:

Vocal tics or making sounds is another of the notable Tourette Syndrome symptoms. In the early stages of the disorder, the vocal tics include making sounds like grunting, barking, throat clearing, sighing, sniffing or clicking the tongue. In the later stages, these may develop into complicated and annoying symptoms like uttering words and phrases out of context. Many sufferers of this syndrome repeat words spoken by themselves or others. In certain cases, the patient may even utter swear words loudly and repeatedly. These are involuntary actions which the sufferer cannot stop at his or her will.

Associated symptoms:

There are often other problems related to the condition. These associated symptoms of Tourette Syndrome include

• Obsessive actions

• Autism

• Sleep irregularities

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Compulsive disorders

• Learning problems

• Restless leg syndrome

• Hyperactivity

Tourett Syndrome sufferers, however, have normal intelligence. The disorder does not affect their IQ.

Tourette Syndrome Causes:

It is not clear exactly what causes Tourette Syndrome. However, researchers have found that heredity is mainly responsible for this disorder. It has been established that most people with the Tourette disorder have inherited it from their parents. But it is unclear how the disease passes on from parents to offsprings. The disease is not contagious. It is believed that a person with a parent suffering from the syndrome has 50% of chance of developing the disorder in his or her adolescent years.

The disorder affects the neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain, especially the dopamine. Dopamine is necessary for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. An imbalance in dopamine immediately affects the motor functions in the body. It impacts the voluntary movements in the system. A severe reduction in dopamine can also lead to Parkinson’s disease.

Other factors like infections and social environment can also play a role in making the disorder more severe. Psychological factors like stress and anxiety can also aggravate the condition. It is not known, however, if these cause Tourettes Syndrome as well.

Diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome:

Tourette Syndrome Treatment is done after a proper diagnosis of the disorder. The condition is often mistaken with other diseases like asthma, autism and Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome that involve certain symptoms similar to the disease. The disorder is usually treated after careful observation of the patients’ symptoms. Physical examinations like urine test are done to check the presence of drugs in the system. The medical history of the patient as well as that of his family members is also analyzed.

Treatment for Tourette Syndrome:

The disorder is not usually treated unless they interfere with everyday activities. Medication, psychological counseling and therapies are generally used to cure this neurological ailment.

Medications:

• Medicines are used to reduce the frequency of tics in the sufferer. The drugs include

• Tranquilizers – Clonidine, Mellaril and Navane are some of the drugs used to reduce stress in the patient.

• Antidepressants – Drugs like Lithobid, Sertraline and Paxil increases the serotonin level and boosts nerve impulses

• Stimulants – Medicines like Pemoline, Dexedrine and Ritalin are used to control hyperactivity in Tourette patients.

Psychological counseling:

Stress and anxiety is found to aggravate tics. If needed, the patient is counseled by an experienced psychiatrist to reduce psychological stress. Tourette Syndrome in children is often cured by counseling.

Therapies:

Patients are taught to control their tics and monitor situations where they are aggravated. They are imparted training on how to reduce their movements and check their use of profane words. They are also taught to self-monitor their progress. In some cases, calm activities are advised that can soothe the mind and cure the symptoms.

Famous people with Tourette Syndrome:

There have been quite a few celebrities with Tourette Syndrome. The US National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard and ex-Major League baseball player Jim Eisenreich were victims of this disorder. But they defied this condition to climb high in their careers. Eisenrich once famously said that the ambition of his life was to become a quality player and a source of inspiration for children suffering from Tourettes condition. Author Samuel Johnson and composer Mozart were also suspected to be the Tourettes sufferers.

Tourette Syndrome Statistics:

• About 272,000 people are supposed to be affected with Tourettes disorder in the USA.

• A recent study shows that only 13.6% of Tourettes Syndrome patients keep suffering from the disease for lifetime.

• 75% of Tourettes sufferers develop this disorder after 11 years of age.

• A 2000 study showed that about 10 in every 1000 US children suffered from this condition.