Tourette Syndrome

(TS)
Akaylah Hayes
 What is Tourette's Syndrome?
Tourette Syndrome is a recognized medical condition, which is often
inherited, but without a specific known cause. There are treatments, but there is
no cure as with many chronic medical conditions. It is a very complex condition
and can be described - with equal accuracy - as a movement disorder, and
neurological condition, or a neuro-psychiatric condition. TS affects all aspects of
life - education, relationships, and employ ability. Tourette's is defined as part of a
spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic tics.

.Who Named it?

In 1860 Brutus Gilles de la Tourette, a French
physician and neurologist, performed a study of patients
at the Salpêtrière Hospital, with the goal of defining an
illness distinct from hysteria and from chorea.Now it was
then called Tourettes Sybdrome.
Dr. Gilles de la Tourette

Inheritance and when it starts.

A person with Tourette's has about a 50% chance of passing the genes
to one of his or her children. Gender appears to have a role in the
expression of the genetic vulnerability; males are more likely than females
to express tics. The exact cause of Tourette's is unknown, but it is well
established that both genetic and environmental factors are involved.
Sometimes people can hold the tics in but eventually they'll come. The tics
constantly change in number, frequency, severity and anatomical location.
These changes are completely unpredictable and the person with TS has no
control over them. Tics usually start in childhood around the age of 7 and
are likely to have it throughout life, though the symptoms often decrease
towards the end of adolescence.

Symptons and Medication

To tell if you had TS if you notice these things.
Common Symptoms Complex Symptoms Vocal Symptoms
throat-cleaning
Eye blinking head twist
sniffling/snorting
Facial Grimacing hopping grunting
blurting words phrases
Shoulder Shrugging jumping
barking
Head or Shoulder twisting uttering swears
jerking.

For medication they have naloperidol and pimozide, and clonicline. Clonicline treats tics. One
that most people know is insulin, that helps calm the child down. One side effects that I found was
weight gain. For education some kids should be put In special classes but for worse symptoms you
would be in a whole different school. Sometimes people with TS require tutoring. Symptoms can also
interfere with their ability to write.
 Resources
http://www.touretts-disorder.com/symtoms/symptons.html

www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.htm

http://health.jacksonsun.com/conditionFactsheet.aspx?id=230
&pg=2

HBO family special “I Have Tourette's but Tourette's dont have

me!”

www.tsa-usa.org/medical/glossary.htm