Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome

Kenny is a teenager who has experienced uncontrollable bodily and facial movements, various uncontrolled vocalizations, and other compulsions such as excessive hand washing and wringing. He has been treated with Clonidine, Haldol, pimozide and buspirone. This patient was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. Clonidine is a vasodilator that allows for blood to flow more easily to the brain. This lowers blood pressure and helps treat the tics the patient experiences(1). Haldol and Pimozide are antipsychotics that blocks dopamine receptors in the brain. This would help treat the compulsive behaviors (2). Buspirone is used to treat anxiety disorders. It binds to serotonin receptors in

This literature review is focused on the characteristics, prevention, assessment, and intervention of TCS. An assortment of different sources were utilized in the collection of information regarding these areas, including journal articles, texts, and websites. Though, texts and web information were both used in a limited capacity. The literature review specifically focuses on the effect the syndrome has on the speech and language of affected individuals.

Tourette's Syndrome Gilles de la Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) is a sporadic or inherited complex neuropsychiatric disorder (not an illness) influenced by neurological, psychological, and sociological factors. It is characterized by involuntary tics - sudden, rapid, recurrent nonrhythmic movements or noises that occur repeatedly in the same way (Temple, 2003). The symptoms include: both multiple motor tics and one or more phonic tics (which may or may not include vocalizations and which sometimes include outbursts of swearing) present at some time during the disorder although not necessarily simultaneously; tics occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder first described by a French physician named Georges Gilles de la Tourette, in 1885. Tourette syndrome (TS) consists of varies abrupt, rapid, involuntary, and repeated movements or vocal sounds, known as tics. “Until 1970, TS was frequently misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, epilepsy, or nervous habits,” concluding that this mental disorder is extremely rare and has similar characteristics as other mental disorders (Kahn and Fawcett 375). Since there is no specific test that can diagnose TS, doctors have to rely on a person’s behaviors and personal history to identify the disorder. About one person in two thousand people is likely to have TS; additionally males are four

Tourette Syndrome, or TS, affects approximately one hundred thousand Americans of whom you will find in a variety of professions and social settings (7). It is a neurological disease which is characterized by repeated and involuntary body movements and vocal sounds. Before TS was known to be a health problem uncontrollable by the patient, it was seen as nervousness, possession by a spirit, epilepsy or simply as bad habits (5). Today it is known that imbalances in certain brain chemicals are what causes the symptoms of this disease. It is interesting to examine TS and use it as a tool for better understanding (in part) how, in what quantity, and at what level the brain (and the nervous system as a whole) contribute to

Examples of this are school perform journey and others. Genetics and rest disorders are another danger that Generalized Nervousness Disorder brings about.

Dr. Bennett is diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. (MedicineNet) However his illness

Tim Howard, an amazing soccer player, also has Tourette syndrome. Tourette’s is a disease where people have tics and cannot concentrate on objects or things for a long time. Howard says, “Sports were my sanctuary. Being outside, playing soccer or basketball, I wasn’t focused on my tics, just on the opponent. I couldn’t even tell you if I dealing with tics. Sports were my escape” (Zuckerman 11).

Current diagnostic criteria for SaraBeth’s disorders is better explained by criterion A – D in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and criterion A – E in Anxiety Disorder due to another medical condition. OCD criteria A requires that the individual have the presence of obsession and/or compulsions. SaraBeth reports obsessions of recurrent and persistent thoughts about harm coming to her parents and although she had attempted to ignore these thoughts she continues with performing her compulsions. SaraBeth’s compulsions are evident by reported repetitive behaviors of performing ritual prayers, persistent checking on the iron and stove and although SaraBeth can admit that her fear is unrealistic, she continues the compulsions in order to feel better or to relieve oneself. Criteria B requires that the obsessions and/or compulsions be time-consuming (more than one hour) or cause clinically significant distress or impairments in important areas of function. SaraBeth has stated that can spend three to four hours during the day engaged in checking behaviors. Criteria C entails that the obsessions-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition. SaraBeth currently has no indication of a medical condition or substance use prior to the first onset of her obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Criteria D requires that the disturbance not better explained by the symptoms of another medical condition. Currently there is no evidence

The disorder was identified by Dr. Andreas Rett, an Austrian physician who first described it in a journal article in 1966 after he noticed two girls in his waiting room exhibiting identical hand mannerisms (Perry, 1991). He subsequently identified 20 other girls with mental retardation who exhibited similar hand movements and shared a number of other features (Kerr & Stephenson, 1985).  It was not until after a second article about the disorder, published in 1983 by Swedish researcher Dr. Bengt Hagberg, that the disorder was generally recognized (Hagberg, 1983).

Sontag, however, would say that this is still unacceptable and that it can be seen as romanticizing the syndrome. It could be making the syndrome seem a lot more positive than it really is and make it seem as though it is desirable because of the “extra help” in the brain. Although I agree with Sontag that metaphors should not be used to describe illnesses of multiple or unknown causes, I think that this metaphor could be seen as helpful, because it helps explain Tourette’s in simple terms so that children that have Tourette’s can understand

Tourette’s is a disease that comes with demands, needs, and limitations and it consumes ones life. Bennett himself compares the Tourette’s to a long married couple. There are different forms of the disease; varying by person, but for Carol the disease is a compulsion that he has to face and tackle everyday. In Bennett’s case, if the chain of thought or course of action were interrupted his tics would reassert themselves and take over. For example he has to compulsively touching things like his glasses, wife’s hair and mustache checking to see if everything symmetrical and smooth. He even makes sure his knees are aligned with the steering wheel of the car and he does not stopping until everything is perfectly centered and fluid. Along with the need to touch and have things precisely aligned. Bennett struggles with the obsessive need to blurt out and suddenly say whatever is on his mind. He has no say or control of the matter, it just happens, leaving people to ignore his comments or look at him strangely. “With him, such thoughts perseverate in the back of the mind, obsessively, and burst out suddenly, without his consent or intention.”(Sacks

Scientists have yet to get to the bottom of Tourette syndrome. Tourette is still a mystery in the eyes of many people. Researchers have discovered that Tourette syndrome is hereditary. They believe that it is caused by mismatched chromosomes. “Researchers believe that tics are caused by and excess, or oversensitivity to, the brain chemical dopamine. (Dopamine is a chemical which ordinarily helps transmit signals involving control of motor movements from one nerve cell to the next” (Tracy Haerle 6) Scientists were clueless as to why individuals with tics and uncontrollable tantrums acted the way they did. Tics are twitches or quirks of speech or behavior. So psychologists assumed that it was because of bad parenting techniques.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a disorder of the brain that is observed in people who have involuntary movements or vocalizations called tics. Named after Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette who first discovered this disorder, this French neurologist described a noblewoman who exhibited these symptoms in 1885. These tics could range from repetitive movements to inappropriate vocalizations.

Tourette Syndrome (TS), first described by Gilles de la Tourette, can be the most debilitating of the tic disorders and is characterized by multiform, frequently changing motor and vocal or phonic tics. There are multiple diagnostic criteria, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV.