Tourette syndrome is a disorder that involves repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can't be easily controlled.Tics typically occur between age 2 to 14, with the average being around 6 years of age.
But What are Tics?
Tics are sudden, brief, intermittent movements or sounds. They can range from mild to severe. This can interfere with communication, daily functioning and quality of life.
Tics can be:
- Vary in type, frequency and severity
- Worsen if you're ill, stressed, anxious, tired or excited
- Occur during sleep
- Change over time
Tics can also be -
1) Movement (motor tics): eye blinking, touching or smelling objects, shoulder struggling, nose twitching, head jerking, mouth movements
2) Sounds (vocal tics): grunting, coughing, repeating words or phrases, throat clearing
What are the causes of Tourette Syndrome?
A variety of genetic and environmental factors likely play a role in causing Tourette syndrome. Also may result from changes in brain chemicals or neurotransmitters that are responsible for producing and controlling voluntary movements.
Variants (also called mutations) involving the SLITRK1 gene have been identified in a small number of people with Tourette syndrome. This gene provides instructions for making a protein that is active in the brain.
The SLITRK1 protein probably plays a role in the development of nerve cells, including the growth of specialised extensions (axons and dendrites) that allow each nerve cell to communicate with nearby cells. It is unclear how variants in the SLITRK1 gene can lead to this disorder.
How do individual Control tics?
Some can control their tics for a short period of time in certain social situations, like in a classroom but it requires a lot of concentration and can get easier with practice.Controlling tics can be tiring. A person may have a sudden release of tics after a day trying. Tics may be less noticeable during activities involving a high level of concentration, such as reading an interesting book or playing sports.
Treatment for Tourette Syndrome
There's no cure for Tourette's syndrome and most of the individuals with tics do not need treatment for that.
- Behavioural therapy: Habits reversal training, exposure with response prevention (ERP) is used to train the individual to control tics.
- Medicine: is given when the tics are severe or affecting daily activities.
Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition. It causes someone to make involuntary movements or sounds called tics. The disorder starts in childhood and usually decreases in early adulthood. Medication and behavioural therapy are the most common treatments. Neurologists and psychiatrists can help a lot for Tourette’s syndrome.
