Tourette syndrome is an inherited
neurological disorder with onset in
childhood, characterized by the presence of
multiple physical tics and at least one vocal
tic.
 The first presentation of Tourette syndrome is thought
to be in a 1489 book, “Witch's hammer” by Jakob
Sprenger and Heinrich Kraemer, describing a priest
whose tics were "believed to be related to possession
by the devil".
 A French doctor, Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, reported
the first case of Tourette syndrome in 1825
 At-risk males are more likely to have tics and at-risk
females are more likely to have obsessive-compulsive
symptoms.
 Doctors diagnosis patients with tourettes after
verifying that the patient has had both motor and
vocal tics for at least 1 year. The existence of other
neurological or psychiatric conditions can also help
doctors arrive at a diagnosis.
 Doctors can also use neuroimaging studies, such as
magnetic resonance imaging , computerized
tomography (, and electroencephalogram scans, or
certain blood tests may be used to rule out other
conditions that might be confused with TS.
 Tourettes has been found to be an inherited trait.
 Cases vary all the time. Sometimes children will get
tourettes when no one in the whole family tree has
ever had a case. It’s a very specific mixture that makes
up the genes to get tourettes.
 Even though it’s such a weird process how some people
receive it, it is commonly passed down as a semi
dominant or intermediate inheritance .
 Obviously, ticking. Going along with eye blinking and
other vision irregularities, facial grimacing, shoulder
shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking.
 Vocal signs are repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or
grunting sounds
 Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate and
dextroamphetamine can lessen ADHD symptoms in
people with TS without causing tics to become more
severe. However, all these medications so far cause
terrible side effects.
 Physical therapy is a common way for people with
tourettes to turn to that have it severely because it
teaches them how to control their tics.
 Psychotherapy can help the person with TS better cope
with the disorder and deal with the secondary social
and emotional problems that sometimes occur
REFERENCE LIST
 Bethesda. (n.d.). Tourette Syndrome Fact Sheet:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (NINDS). National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Retrieved May 20, 2010,
from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders
 Alsobrook. (n.d.). The Genetics of Tourette Syndrome.
Tourette-Syndrome.com - Home of Tourette Syndrome
Online. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from
http://www.tourette-syndrome.com/ts_genetics.htm