Tourette Syndrome Case Study

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

Evidence indicates that genetic factors may play a role in development of disruptive behavior disorders (Hansell & Damour, 2005). A biological structure of an infant’s brain has preposition genes and chemical responses to develop into an adult (Perry, 2002). Disorders in lifespan development are not biologically set to occur (Dombeck, 2010). Issues’ dealing with environment, education, and way of life has made changes in developments, childhood behavior keeps a child on a continuum between normal and abnormal behavior (Hansell & Damour, 2005). Several disorders currently exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) because studies on children, adolescent, and young adult disorders evolved from DSM-II (Hansell & Damour, 2005).

Dr. say there are many types of Tourette's, in motor Tourette's there are uncontrollable movements like eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, head jerking, and many other body movements. Vocal tics would be one like humming, whistling, throat clearing, or sniffing. This sort of disability lasts up to 6 to 7 years. A lot of the first symptoms start in the facial area and later on move to tics in the arms or legs, and males are 3 to 4 times likely to have Tourette's than

The main symptoms of Tourette syndrome are tics, involuntary muscle movements (Bjorklund 12). Although unpredictable, tics are more likely to happen when people are sick or anxious (20). The two types of tics, physical and vocal, can range from mild to severe (12). Mild vocal tics include: spitting, sneezing, throat clearing, coughing, sniffing, and grunting. There are mild physical tics also such as sticking out the tongue (21), shoulder shrugging, eye blinking, and head twitching (20). Tourette syndrome is most often inherited genetically. Tourette’s is a result of a genetic mutation in the brain’s basal ganglia or from a gene mutation in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Scientists also believe this disease can be a result of environmental factors (12). People can get Tourette syndrome from a brain injury or bacterial infections (38).

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder categorized by repetitive involuntary vocalizations and movements (tics). The symptoms of TS typically manifest themselves in early childhood, worsen significantly in the early teens, and then improve into the late teens and adulthood. The CDC estimates as many as 1 in 162 children may suffer from TS, with a significant portion carrying their tics into adulthood (around 10-15%). It is estimated around 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of

As previously mentioned, there is no absolute cause for why TTM comes about in patients. Often it seems to start around the ages of twelve and thirteen, however it is not uncommon for it to start earlier or later. It is usually associated with stressful events such as: abuse, family conflict, death of a parent or moving (MHA). TTM is considered a mental disorder and for many people, it can be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but it does not have to be. Other behaviors that may be associated are nail biting, thumb sucking, compulsive scratching, compulsively picking at

where movement is planned or motor behavior is organized. Surely enough, research done on the basal ganglia, namely the striatum and the caudate nucleus, has revealed that dopamine indeed impacts on these areas more prominently in Tourette's patients than in unaffected controls. (5,6) The increased dopamine effect in Tourette's patients may be due to two mechanism. One, the patients may produce more dopamine, hence, their receptors are over-stimulated, leading to excessive neuronal firing, in turn leading to involuntary movements. However, this theory seems to not hold, as presumably neurons would activate compensatory mechanism to deal with the increase in neurotransmitter concentration. If really dopamine was present in excess, one would expect receptor sites to down-regulate. One can assume that dopamine is not present in excess in Tourette's patients. A second mechanism has been proposed. According to this, the dopamine levels in Tourette's patients are equivalent to non-patients, but their receptor sites are supersensitive. This theory seems to hold true and has been successfully confirmed in the laboratory. Research surrounding dopamine binding in implicated structures of the brain yielded, "that binding to D2 dopamine receptors in the caudate nucleus was higher in the sibling

From the second grade to the fifth grade, my tics were present, but not very active and noticeable. Although they were not extremely noticeable, people still would wonder why I was constantly making weird noises or twitching my arms and legs. It was when I entered the sixth grade that my tics started to really show. All day, every day, I was constantly teased, made fun of, and in some cases physically bullied. People made fun of me because I was different. It was by far the worst feeling someone can have, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

genetic predisposition (Leboyer et al., 2008; Tsuang, Stone, & Faraone, 2001). Meehl (1962) theorized that schizotaxia, a genetic predisposition for

“Village idiot”, “court jester”, “witch”… could these be the original names for Autism Spectrum Disorder of recent history? It has been suggested that ASD stems from an aggregate effect of many damaged essential genes that "work" together during the early stages of development in the womb, as soon as eight weeks after conception.19 The prevailing theory for autism is that it is a polygenic or multi-factorial genetic disorder and presumes that there are multiple genes and multiple environmental forces that interact in some complex way to ultimately create the problem of autism.20 Research has shown that over the last decade that while diagnosis has increased over time, the actual percentage prevalence of autism has not risen.10

Complex tics such as touching or smelling objects, repeating observed movements, stepping in a certain pattern, obscene gestures, bending or twisting, hopping, repeating one's own words or phrases or others, using vulgar, obscene, or swear words. These tics makes it hard for the individual who has Tourette Syndrome to make friends. Parents may try to build the best possible life for their child, or feeling guilty for giving their children that gene. Also, siblings may resent their siblings because they get more attention

Imagine an eight year old child, just starting the third grade, and they are constantly being made fun of for making different noises in the back of the class, or doing strange head motions that the other students find amusing. The child wonders why this is always happening. This is what school can be like for a child with Tourette Syndrome, making it hard for him or her to be in any kind of social situation. Tourette Syndrome produces involuntary tics which can be hard for any school aged child or adolescent. Little is known about the cause of Tourette Syndrome and there is no cure, making the diagnoses look somber, but there are various treatments and ways of coping, but most patients with Tourette Syndrome don’t have to worry about it for

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’s, also called TS, is a genetic disorder with correspondence to the nervous system that starts in childhood and can last for years or be lifelong. It is mainly characterized by tics, uncontrollable repetitive actions or unwarranted noises, like nonstop blinking or the exclamation of belligerent slurs, usually against will. The most affected are those ages six to forty, and it is more common in males; hereditary-wise, at-risk males are more likely to have TS than at-risk females. It reaches over 200,000 people in the United States per year, and is habitually self-diagnosable, with vast behavioral, muscular, and mood-changing effects. Despite the fact that it has no cure, treatments such as antipsychotic medication and cognitive psychological therapies can help to improve greatly. A key way to seek help for TS is to consult a specialist fit for the patient, whether it be a pediatrician, an age appropriate psychiatrist, or a highly qualified neurologist for optimum help.

A tic is a repetitive, uncontrollable, purposeless contraction of an individual muscle or group of muscles, usually in the face, arms, or shoulders. These movements may be signs of a minor psychological disturbance. Such tics often occur in childhood and will probably be outgrown. There are also tics that are caused by neurological disorders that could have resulted from brain damage at birth, head trauma, or use of some specific medication (1). Tic disorders may be