Tourette Syndrome Case Study

Tourette syndrome is a disorder that is found in the nervous system and is most commonly found in children. Forms of Tourette’s can range from being severe to being mild, causing people to have motor or vocal tics. “Other symptoms such as the expression of socially inappropriate comments or behaviors, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, self-injuring behavior, depression, and anxiety also appear to be associated with Tourette syndrome” (Tourette syndrome, 1). Tourette’s mainly affects children and teens. It occurs less as you get older. During the late teen years, the severity of Tourette’s decreases. “Some of the suggested risk factors include severe psychological trauma, recurrent daily stresses, extreme emotional excitement, PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder with streptococcal infection), and drug abuse” (Tourette syndrome, 1). Tourette’s can effect someone negatively, due to some of the actions that can occur. People misunderstand people with Tourette’s,

Action potentials can occur more frequently as long there is a continued source of stimulation, as long as the relative refractory period has been reached, which in experiment 2 the refractory period was complete.

Dzevdet Smajlovic, professor from the Department of Neurology at the University of Tuzla in Bosnia stated that

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

a.) How can we determine the etiology of stuttering through neuroimaging, lesion, pharmacological, and genetic studies?

Because fEPSP increased in all four of the groups of brain slices, this indicates that LTP can be induced over a range of burst frequencies. Grover et al. (2009) found that LTP occurred with burst frequencies ranging from 0.05 to 10 Hz. However, unlike Grover et al. (2009) who found that stimulation in the delta range induced the most prominent LTP, this experiment did not find this same effect. However, in the two groups of brains slices kept at a temperature of 25°C it appears as though a burst

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).

Glial cells are the most numerous cells in the brain, outnumbering neurons nearly 3:1, although smaller and some lacking axonal and dendritic projections. Once thought to play a subpar role to neurons, glial cells are now recognized as responsible for much greater functions. There are many types of glial cells, including: oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes. Oligodendrocytes form the myelin sheath in the CNS, by wrapping themselves around the axons of neurons. Their PNS counterpart, Schwann cells, are also considered glial cells. This sheath insulates the axon and increases the speed of transmission, analogous to the coating on electrical wires. Microglia are considered to be “immune system-like”; removing viruses, fungi, and other wastes that are present. Astrocytes, however, are considered to be the most prominent. Their functions span throughout the brain, including, but not limited to: the synchronization of axonal transmission via G-protein-coupled receptors, blood flow regulation via the dilation of blood vessels, and the performance of reactive gliosis in conjunction with microglia. Both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes develop from neuroepithelial cells. Other types of glial cells include Radial glia, which direct immature neuron migration during development.

Parkinson’s disease is affected by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons which is responsible to produce dopamine. Dopaminergic neurons have their cell bodies in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in basal ganglia (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007). Basal ganglia are a collection of interconnected gray matter nuclear masses deep within the brain”. These gray matter masses are caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus and the substantia nigra. Basal ganglia receive its input through striatum (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 2007).

In a patient with PD, neurodegeneration occurs primarily in the basal ganglia and causes dysfunction of the motor loop. As this circuit is responsible for the regulation

Tourette’s syndrome can cause children to have trouble socially and often be reclusive. I have done outpatient therapy with children with Tourette’s syndrome and have found that both social skills and coping skills are important for them to develop to manage this disorder. Although Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder, I have found that it causes many children psychological distress, and many children have tics far less to none at all on medication. I think it is important in school to give kids appropriate consequences at the first hint of them making fun or teasing a child with Tourette’s syndrome to help with the stress that comes from being bullied. It is imperative to teach peers of a child suffering from Tourette’s syndrome

Another possibility is having an abnormality in the brain that affects the way the nerve impulses transmit out to the brain, this includes Dopamine and Serotonin abnormalities. A couple parts of the brain may also cause or be affected by Tourette's, those being, the Basal Ganglia, the Amygdala, and The Hippocampus. Tourette's come in both a complex and a simple form, if you have Complex Tourette's you may make very obscene noises or very rapid gestures. When you have Complex Tourette's, you may repeat words or phrases, repeat someone else's words or phrases, or you may use vulgar words. When you have Simple Tourette's, you may constantly blink, jerk your head, rapidly shrug your shoulders and a few more types of minor tics or noises. These may show as a social problem with interaction and

It has been known that PD is a disorder affecting the basal ganglia. The term basal ganglia is generally applied to a collection of nuclei situated deep within the cerebral hemispheres, lying laterally to the thalamus (Gazzeniga, George, and Mangun, 2008). The basal ganglia are important subcortical structures. They are composed of five nuclei: caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra. These nuclei are not thought of a single anatomical entity; rather, they form a functional unity whose contribution is greatly to motor control. Interestingly, this system does not influence movement through spinal cord pathways, but rather acts as part of a feedback loop to all areas of the cerebral cortex, with primary input into motor areas (Aird, 2000). A number of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are what control this whole process, and a balance of both is required to ensure that smooth, purposeful movement takes place. In order to understand the pathways of which the basal ganglia take part in, it is essential to know the input and output connections of the basal ganglia. The input

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.

Chronic multiple tics present often, and in series. Sometimes it is difficult to draw distinctions between transient, chronic and chronic multiple tics (2).