Tourette syndrome — also called Tourette's syndrome, Tourette Spectrum (TS), Tourette's disorder, or Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

The eponym was bestowed by Jean-Martin Charcot after and on behalf of his resident, Georges Edouard Albert Brutus Gilles de la Tourette, (1859 - 1904), French physician and neurologist. An eponym is a person, whether real or fictitious, whose name has (or is thought to have) given rise to the name of a particular place, tribe, discovery, or other item. ... Categories: People stubs | French physicians | 1825 births | 1893 deaths | History of medicine ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

It is a neurological or neurochemical disorder characterized by tics: involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way. Symptoms include multiple motor and one or more vocal tics present at some time during the disorder although not necessarily simultaneously; the occurrence of tics many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently throughout a span of more than one year; the periodic change in the number, frequency, type and location of the tics, and in the waxing and waning of their severity; symptoms disappearing for weeks or months at a time; and onset before the age of 18. Vocal tics may fall into various categories, including echolalia (the urge to repeat words spoken by someone else after being heard by the person with the disorder), palilalia (the urge to repeat one's own previously spoken words), lexilalia (the urge to repeat words after reading them) and, most controversially, coprolalia (the spontaneous utterance of socially objectionable words, such as obscenities and racial or ethnic slurs). There are many other vocal tics besides those categorized by word repetition - in fact, a TS tic can be almost any possible short vocal sound, with the most common tics resembling throat clearing, short coughs, grunts, or moans. Motor tics can be of endless variety and may include hand-clapping, banging the knuckles together, and contorted facial grimacing. Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the nervous system and its disorders. ... Neurochemistry is a branch of neuroscience that is heavily devoted to the study of neurochemicals. ... A tic is a repeated, impulsive action, almost reflexive in nature, which the actor feels powerless to control or avoid. ... Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person. ... Palilalia is a pychological condition referring to the urge to repeat ones spoken words. ... Coprolalia is involuntary swearing that is an occasional but rare characteristic of Tourette syndrome patients. ...

The term "involuntary" used to describe TS tics is a source of confusion since it is known that most people with TS do have some control over the symptoms. Before tic onset, individuals with TS experience what is called a "premonitory urge," similar to the feeling that precedes yawning. What is recognized is that the control which can be exerted from seconds to hours at a time may merely postpone and exacerbate outbursts of symptoms. Tics are experienced as irresistible as a yawn and must eventually be expressed. People with TS often seek a secluded spot to release their symptoms after delaying them in school or at work. Typically, tics increase as a result of tension or stress (but are not caused by stress) and decrease with relaxation or concentration on an absorbing task. In fact, neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks has described a man with severe TS who is both a pilot and a surgeon. Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature. ... Oliver W. Sacks (born July 9, 1933, London) is a neurologist who has written popular books about his patients. ...

Other commonly associated disorders are obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). DISCLAIMER Please remember that Wikipedia is offered for informational use only. ...

The entertainment industry has often depicted those with TS as being social misfits whose only tic is coprolalia, which has led to the general public's misunderstanding of TS sufferers as "people who can't help yelling swear words a lot". However, this is merely a clinomorphism, as coprolalia is a relatively rare symptom compared to other types of tics. Clinomorphism (from the Greek term klinikos meaning bed and morphos meaning form) is the deliberate or unintentional simplification, alteration or amplification of the term for a medical condition (usually for dramatic effect) often in the form of a caricature to which sufferers of (or carers for those with) the condition...

Diagnosis

According to the DSM-IV, TS is indicated when a person exhibits both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics (although these do not need to be concurrent) over the period of 1 year, with no more than 3 consecutive tic-free months. This disturbance must cause distress or impairment in the individual's normal functioning. The onset must have been before the age of 18, and cannot be attributed to the use of a substance or another medical condition. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the handbook used most often in diagnosing mental disorders in the United States and other countries. ...

It is estimated that as many as 1 in 200 experience some form of TS. Males are affected 3 to 4 times more often than females. Some cases decrease in severity or cease entirely upon reaching adulthood.

As it is a spectrum disorder, the severity of the condition can range vastly. Those with mild cases are often highly functioning, so much so that others would not know of their condition. More severe cases can inhibit or prevent the individual from engaging in common activities such as holding a job, having a fulfilling social life, or maintaining his/her basic needs.

Treatment

The majority of people with TS require no medication, but medication is available to help when symptoms interfere with functioning. TS medications are only able to help reduce specific symptoms. Neuroleptic and antihypertensive drugs can have long- and short-term side effects, and use of stimulants is controversial. SSRIs, a class of antidepressants, may be prescribed when a TS patient is triggered by symptoms of OCD. The term antipsychotic is applied to a group of drugs used to treat psychosis. ... Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used In medicine and pharmacology to treat hypertension. ... A medication is a licenced drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical condition. ... A side-effect is any effect other than an intended primary effect. ... A stimulant is a drug which increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and produces a sense of euphoria or awakeness. ... Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants. ... An antidepressant is a medication used primarily in the treatment of clinical depression. ... Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a brain disorder, and more specifically, an anxiety disorder. ...

Researchers are also investigating the use of nicotine patches as a treatment. However, while the results are promising, physicians urge that the dangers of nicotine as a carcinogen outweigh the benefits of this treatment. Researchers are seeking a substitute that can target brain disorders in the same way, without the risks. (BBC News) A nicotine patch is a transdermal patch that releases nicotine into the skin. ... Nicotine is an organic compound, an alkaloid found naturally throughout the tobacco plant, with a high concentration in the leaves. ... In pathology, a carcinogen is any substance or agent that promotes cancer. ...

Until 2004, there wasn't a cure for TS. However, surgeons in the US successfully carried out a brain surgery in February 2004, in which tiny electrodes powered by batteries inserted in the chest, were placed beside the thalamus in each cerebral hemisphere. Within half a minute of activating the electrodes, the patient could walk normally and displayed a complete lack of symptoms. However, this is a dangerous procedure and is unlikely to become widespread. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cure can be: successful treatment of disease preserve (meat, for example), as by salting, smoking, or aging (see curing) prepare, preserve, or finish (a substance) by a chemical or physical process The Cure refers to more than one thing: The Cure are an English rock band. ... Surgery Surgery is the medical specialty that treats diseases or injuries by operative manual and instrumental treatment. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has news related to this article: United States United States government CIA World Factbook Entry for United States House. ... Picture of a human brain generated from MRI data Sagittal slice from a fMRI scan of a human brain. ... 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → // February 29, 2004 Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigns as president of Haiti and flees the country for the Central African Republic. ... An electrode is a conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e. ... Four double-A (AA) batteries In science and technology, a battery is a device that stores energy and makes it available in an electrical form. ... The thalamus is a part of the brain. ... Human brain viewed from above, showing cerebral hemispheres. ... The term symptom (from the Greek syn = con/plus and pipto = fall, together meaning co-exist) has two similar meanings in the context of physical and mental health: A symptom can be a physical condition which shows that one has a particular illness or disorder (see e. ...

In any case, the condition in many individuals improves as they mature. Individuals with TS can expect to live a normal life span. Although TS is generally lifelong and chronic, it is not degenerative. In a few cases, complete remission occurs after adolescence, and in many cases this occurs after the age of 40. Adolescence is the transitional stage of development between childhood and full adulthood, representing the period of time during which a person is biologically adult but emotionally not at full maturity. ...

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be used to try to disrupt the automatic chain of events underlying the tics. Relaxation techniques and biofeedback may also be useful in relieving the stress that may aggravate tics. Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavior therapy is a kind of psychotherapy used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other forms of psychological disorder. ... Relaxation techniques have long been included in sitcoms and cartoons, used in particular by those with anger management problems. ... Biofeedback is the process of measuring and quantifying an aspect of a subjects physiology, analyzing the data, and then feeding back the information to the subject in a form that allows the subject to enact physiological change. ...

Genetics

Genetic studies indicate tic disorders, including TS, are inherited as a dominant gene(s) that may produce varying symptoms in different family members. A person with TS has about a 50% chance of passing the gene(s) to one of his/her children. However, the gene(s) may express as TS, as a milder tic disorder, or as obsessive compulsive symptoms with no tics at all. It is known that a higher than usual incidence of milder tic disorders and obsessive compulsive behaviours are more common in the families of TS patients. The sex of the child also influences the expression of the gene(s). The chance that the child of a person with TS will have the disorder is at least three times higher for a son than for a daughter. Yet only a minority of the children who inherit the gene(s) will have symptoms severe enough to ever require medical attention. In some cases, TS may not be inherited; these cases are identified as "sporadic" TS because a genetic link cannot be found. In genetics, the term dominant gene refers to the an allele that causes a phenotype that is seen in a heterozygous genotype. ...

Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine tends to hold the view that TS is caused by yeast infections and mercury poisoning (see gluten-free, casein-free diet). Alternative medicine broadly describes methods and practices used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. ... Candidiasis, commonly called yeast infection or thrush, is a fungal infection of any of the Candida species, of which Candida albicans is probably the most common. ... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 200. ... Many parents of children with autism have reported that a gluten-free casein-free diet helps their children. ...

Famous People with Tourette's

• Joshua James William Skaug - author
• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf - former NBA player
• Howard Ahmanson, Jr, American Christian fundamentalist and millionaire philanthropist
• Tim Howard - goalkeeper for Manchester United Football Club
• Jim Eisenreich - former major league baseball player
• Mike Johnston - relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Michael Wolff - Jazz musician
• Dr. Samuel Johnson, lexicographer, certainly had Tourette syndrome as evidenced by the writings of James Boswell.
• Some historians think Mozart may have had Tourette syndrome, although many experts on Tourette syndrome disagree (see external link below).
• Some neurologists think Thelonius Monk may have had Tourette syndrome

Joshua James William Skaug - Child Author/Celebrity with Tourette Syndrome Plus. ... Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (born March 9, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. ... The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. ... Howard Fieldstead Ahmanson, Jr (born 1950) is an American millionaire philanthropist who funds the causes of Christian fundamentalism. ... Tim Howard (born March 6, 1979, in North Brunswick, New Jersey) is a soccer goalkeeper, the first American to play for Manchester Uniteds first team. ... A goalkeeper leaves his feet to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... Manchester United is an English football club, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester and is easily one of the sports most internationally-known and successful clubs. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Baseball is a team sport, in which a fist-sized ball is thrown by a defensive player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a round, smooth stick called a bat. ... The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Jazz is a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ... Samuel Johnson circa 1772, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. ... James Boswell James Boswell (October 29, 1740 - May 19, 1795) was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917–February 17, 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer known for his unique improvisational style and many contributions to the standard jazz repertoire. ...

In fiction

• The Tic Code is an unusually accurate discussion of the syndrome, with extensive input from Polly Draper, whose husband and son both suffer from it.

• The character of Jeronimo in The Confusion (volume two of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle) is a typical clinomorphism, with severe coprolalia and extremely fast reflexes.
• Seldom Silent, Never Heard, a sixth-season episode of Quincy, M.E., focuses extensively on Tourette's Syndrome. It originally aired on March 4, 1981.
• The main character, Lionel, in Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem also suffers severely from coprolalia.
• Icy Sparks, by Gwyn Hyman Rubio (2001), is told from the point of view of a young girl struggling with undiagnosed TS in 1950s Kentucky. This book was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show as a part of Oprah's Book Club.

Polly Draper (born June 15, 1956 in Palo Alto, California) is an American actress. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Confusion is a novel by Neal Stephenson. ... Neal Stephenson (b. ... The Baroque Cycle is a series of books written by Neal Stephenson and published in 2003 and 2004. ... Klugman as Dr. Quincy Quincy, M.E. (or simply Quincy) is name of a United States television series that aired October 3, 1976 to May 11, 1983 on NBC. It starred Jack Klugman as Dr. Quincy, a strong-willed forensic coroner working to ascertain facts about suspicious deaths. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jonathan Lethem is a novelist, whose work encompasses a variety of genres and styles. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ... The Oprah Winfrey Show is the longest-running daytime television talk show in the United States, and is hosted, produced and owned by Oprah Winfrey. ... Oprahs Book Club is a popular book club as decided on by talk show host Oprah Winfrey. ...

In music

• The grunge band Nirvana recorded a song on the In Utero album titled "tourette's"—a song with neither audible nor written lyrics, but only shouting, as if mimicking the Tourette Syndrome.

Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Drummer Dave Grohl, left, guitarist/singer/songwriter Kurt Cobain, center, and bassist Krist Novoselic, right. ... In Utero is Nirvanas third and final studio album, released in September 1993. ...

References

• Tourette Syndrome Fact Sheet, provided by NINDS
• "Making Sense of Tourette's", Science Magazine volume 305, 3rd Sept 2004, p1390
• DSM-IV Diagnostic Critera for TS

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. ...

External links

• The Tourette Syndrome Association Inc. - The US advocacy group.
• The Tourette Syndrome (UK) Association - The UK advocacy group.
• Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia - The AU advocacy group.
• Tourette's Disorder - A TS awareness website.
• Mr. Indiana Jones - A TS sufferer's personal website containing info about TS.
• BBC article on surgery that led to cure, and the followup interview with the cured patient.
• Mozart and Tourette Syndrome.