What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts to develop in early developmental age of life. This is a disorder that effects brain and nerve cells. This called abrupt involuntary movements called tics which are not under personal control. Tics are of two types motor tics are sudden body movements and vocal tics are sudden voices. Tourette syndrome is one of the tic disorders which is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder. The motor tics like hand flapping, shoulder shagging and vocal tics like throat clearing etc are tics that develop and vanish over a period of time. These tics vary is type, frequency, intensity and location. If an individual have tics he or she cannot stop having them.

What are the causes of Tourette syndrome?

There are multiple causes of Tourette syndrome one of them are mentioned below

Genetic cause

Sometime genes play a role to carry Tourette if there is any genetic history of TS so the chances will high to get this. Some genetic studies reveals that OCD and ADHD are also linked with TS.

Neurotransmitters

There are neurotransmitters in brain that regulate chemical secretions in brain and maintain body movements. Any problem in the metabolization of these neurotransmitters effect the brain functioning and cause tourette.

Prenatal health

Children of mothers who take drugs or smoke during pregnancy are at high risk of developing TS.

Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome

In Tourette syndrome person can have simple and complex motor and vocal tics

Simple motor tics

Here some simple motor tics are mentioned which individual is showing in Tourette

• Eye blinking or any other eye movement
• Shoulder or head jerking
• Shoulder shrugging

Complex motor tics

Complex motor tics can involve several muscles from more then one body part, these can be

• Jumping
• Climbing
• Twisting
• Hopping

Simple vocal tics

Simple vocal tics are

• Barking
• Throat clearing repetitively
• Sniffing

Complex vocal tics

• Repeating one’s own word again and again
• Repeating other’s words or phrases again and again
• Using or swear words

Tics can be worse during phase of anxiety or fear and can be better during calmness.