Tourette Syndrome
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
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It was found that drugs which stimulate the production of the brain chemical dopamine can induce "tics" (7). Some ideas about how this is happening in TS victims suggest that there may be "supersensitive" receptors to dopamine in specific areas of the brain, and that this area under normal conditions would act like a "brake" on the movements made on purpose (3). Or, there just may be higher than normal levels of dopamine production and use in the patient. Still other scientists say that dopamine may not be the only chemical involved. They have also found differing levels of a chemical called serotonin in TS patients (where it was high) and unaffected people (where it was lower). Other theories include increase in red-cell choline, imbalance in central nervous system dopamine and acetylcholine, and motor movements originating in the anterior cingulate cortex (1). Locating the genetic basis of the disease can help doctors and scientists better aid in treating those with TS.
While there is no medication which relieves every symptom of TS, there is the possibility of improvement if the patient does not have serious side effects to the medications, of which there are a variety (i.e. pimozide, risperidone, clonidine) (8). Researches have found that the drug haloperidol acts on dopamine and in turn calms the patient. Haloperidol works by blocking the receiving areas on receptor cells where dopamine passes on messages
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
Moreover, none of the available medications for TS completely eliminates symptoms and in addition, all medications have side effects. Instead, the available TS medications are only able to help reduce specific symptoms. Some patients who require medication to reduce the frequency and intensity of the tic symptoms may be treated with neuroleptic drugs such as haloperidol and pimozide (Abuzzahab & Brown, 2001). These medications are usually given in very small doses that are increased slowly until the best possible balance between symptoms and side effects is achieved. Recently scientists have discovered that long-term use of neuroleptic drugs may cause an involuntary movement
a.) How can we determine the etiology of stuttering through neuroimaging, lesion, pharmacological, and genetic studies?
One of the best ways to cope with TS is to remember that the tics usually lessen in severity as an individual gets older. Tics usually reach its highest potential during early teens to the middle years of adolescence. If a person with TS
The most popular medicine to use are anti-psychotic drugs. Close the plane has proven to be very effective in treating this disorder. Although, this medication is likely to cause other serious problems. This medication is likely to be prescribed when one is resilient other antipsychotic medications. Other medications that can help 8 this condition or a rip Rizal, Pullip Raton, quit opinion and that's just to name a few. These medications are accompanied by side effects like blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, skin rashes, dizziness, and drowsiness. Physical effects include restlessness, trimmers, and muscle spasm. And those who you used these medications may develop TD. These medications also can have an effect on women's menstrual cycles. Rapid weight gain can also be a side effect that makes people susceptible to being high at risk for developing baby CDs and / or high
Another medicine that I found while researching treatments for this disorder is a category of drug by the name of benzodiazepines. Popular drug names associated with benzodiazepines consist of Ativan, Valium, and Xanax. Again, side effects with these drugs can
The most studied and most useful agent historically has been haloperidol (Campbell, 1987), which is known to improve many of the aberrant behaviors of PDDs. Other studies have also focused on the effects of opioid blockers and serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (McDougle, 1997).
Thomas deals with all of these side effects do to the severity his diagnosis, in which he doesn’t not fall in either categories medication is a must. The moods that he goes through are extreme changing within minutes of one another. Getting help was the most important
drama therapy could support children on the spectrum to develop in the safe space of a drama group. The necessary social skills could be practised in drama class and appeared to support the integration of appropriate social behaviour (D’Amico et al., 2015:22).
The treatment option for psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease is to decrease or discontinue the dose of antiparkinson drugs in the opposite order of their effectiveness.2 The order begins with anticholinergic drugs, followed by amantadine, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, and levodopa.2 There is also the treatment option of atypical antipsychotics, specifically clozapine and quetiapine are used in low doses.2 Due to clozapine
Among many physicians and scientists was Georges Albert Édouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette, who was training under Dr. Martin Charcot (McNaught, 2010). When Dr. Charcot asked Gilles de la Tourette to change his study to ataxia, a disorder described as lack of muscle control to paroxysmal a movement disorders, which is characterized by sudden outbursts of emotion and/or action, Gilles de la Tourette accepted (McNaught, 2010). Before, Gilles de la Tourette and Dr. Charcot discovered that the involuntary movement and sudden outbursts where neurological, many people believed that people with Tourette Syndrome where possessed by the devil, under witched craft, or that it was caused by wrong deeds (McNaught, 2010). Gilles de la Tourette published “Maladie des tics” (disease tics) in 1885. In his publishing he wrote about nine patients that where suffering with vocalizations and involuntary movement (Jeffries, 2007). So, Gilles de la Tourette is known and considered the founding father of a neurological disorder that carries his name, Tourette Syndrome (Jeffries,
Tourette syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by both motor and phonic tics over a period of at least one year with the onset in childhood or adolescence. Apart from the tics, most of the patients with Tourette syndrome have associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities consisting of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, rage attacks, sleep issues, depression, and migraine. Patients may also have physical complications directly from violent motor tics which can rarely include cervical myelopathy, arterial dissection and stroke. The purpose of this article is to review the associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities of Tourette syndrome with emphasis on recent research.
Treatments include medication, supportive psychotherapy and occasionally ECT. Medications include lithium, anticonvulsant drugs (carbamazepine (Tegretol), valproate (Depakote), gabapentin (Neurontin) and lamotrigine Lamictal), antidepressants (such as bupropion (Wellbutrin)or sertraline (Zoloft)), neuroleptics (e.g. haloperidol) and benzodiazepines (e.g. lorazepam) Treatment choices depend on the
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).