Tourette's Syndrome Essay

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,

In "A Plague of Tics," David Sedaris's describes his life from childhood to adulthood. He suffers from OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder). Sedaris writes, "If I were to lose count of my steps, I'd have to return to school and begin again" (360). This showcases the extreme case of Sedaris's OCD; that if he does not make his route absolutely perfect, he won't be able to find peace. His compulsive routine as a young child included his unsettling "tics", which he had little to no control over. "It never fails to amaze me that people might notice these things. Because my actions were so intensely private, I had always assumed they were somewhat invisible" (Sedaris 362). Ironically, Sedaris refers to his "tics" as actions that were private

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

The following is an overview about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), one of the most difficult psychiatric illness to be understood. The way of doing certain behaviors, thoughts or routines repeatedly is the essential condition of a person with OCD. In general, it is known and described by someone who is extremely perfectionist and meticulous. Unfortunately, they do realize those habits and be able to stop doing it. Common behaviors are such as checking locks, doors, stove bottoms, and lights, hand washing, counting things, or having recurrent intrusive thoughts of hurting oneself or somebody else.

Overall, David Sedaris’ essay exemplifies the harsh reality what a person living with OCD has to deal with. Throughout the “Plague of Tics” I found Sedaris’ actions and emotions mirrored much of my own which evoked much sympathy from me. Some people may not be able to relate or understand and may view the way he

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

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

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

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

Gordon and colleagues (1993), have conducted a double-blind crossover study using clomipramine, desipramine, and placebo. In their study, they found clomipramine to be superior to both desipramine and placebo in reducing repetitive behaviors, compulsive behaviors, and anger. Clomipramine and desipramine were equally effective in treating hyperactivity. Another study focused on PDDs adults by Brodkin et al. (1997) reported a positive clinical response in 55% of the subjects. According to the authors, the clinical improvements were seen in repetitive thoughts and behaviors, aggressive behaviors, as well as some improvement in social

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder that causes someone to have unwanted and troubling thoughts and repetitive behaviors (Lack, 2012). People may self-diagnose themselves to be obsessive compulsive. But people with obsessive compulsive disorder need to spend at least 1 hour daily on obsessive thoughts and rituals (Ellyson, 2014). This disorder is broken into two parts. The first part is obsessions, thoughts or images, and the second part is compulsions, the repetitive behaviors caused by the obsessions (Brakoulias, 2015). An example of obsessive compulsive disorder would be someone checking the locked door multiple times to reduce anxiety about forgetting to lock the door. On average 5% of the population has subclinical symptoms which are considered to be symptoms that are not disruptive enough to meet criteria to be diagnosed obsessive compulsive (Lack, 2012). Dropping what you’re doing to go back and check if your curling iron is unplugged is an example of a subclinical symptom. This paper will discuss what obsessive compulsive disorder is and provide a brief history. It will also include current treatments, suggestions on how to treat the disorder, and a summary.

Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome, commonly known as “Tourette syndrome,” “Tourette’s,” or simply “TS,” is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder producing sudden, repetitive movements and sounds, known as “tics,” which are beyond an individual’s control. The condition is named after French physician Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first published an account of its symptoms in the 1880s (Felling & Singer, 2011, p. 12387). Once considered a rare disorder, Tourette syndrome is currently estimated to occur in mild to severe forms in as much as 2% of the population (Bohlhalter et al., 2006, p. 2029). Today, Tourette syndrome affects the lives of

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.

The causes of Tourette and other Tic Disorders are still unknown. The said conditions are hereditary and so genetics clearly play a role in many, if not most or all, occurrences of the conditions. The environment might also contribute for its development but up until now, no specific agent or event has been identified. Therefore, TS and Tic Disorders are likely to be caused by complex interactions between genetic and other factors which may vary in different individuals. Studies are underway to find the genes and other factors underlying the development of these

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.