Tourette’s

The symptoms usually begin at around the age of seven and become most pronounced during the teenage years.

Boys are more likely to be affected by Tourette’s syndrome than girls. It is unclear why this is the case.

Two thirds of people will experience a marked improvement in their symptoms, usually around 10 years after they first began. For some people the Tourette symptoms become much less troublesome and frequent, while for others they can disappear entirely.

In the remaining third of people with Tourette’s syndrome, their symptoms will persist throughout their life, but the symptoms will usually become milder as they grow older.

The condition usually begins in childhood and the tics can be either:

• Phonic (making sounds) – such as grunting, coughing or shouting out words
• Physical – such as jerking of the head or jumping up and down

Tics can also be:

• Simple, involving moving only one muscle or uttering a single sound
• Complex, involving a series of physical movements or speaking a long phrase

Most people diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome have a combination of physical and vocal tics, which can be both simple and complex.

The tics do not usually pose a serious threat to a person’s physical health, although physical tics, such as jerking of the head, can often be painful. However, children and adults affected by Tourette’s syndrome can experience associated problems such as social isolation, embarrassment and low self-esteem.

Children who develop Tourette’s syndrome will usually also have one or more other developmental or behavioral conditions. The two most commonly reported conditions are described below:

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that causes persistent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior. For instance, feeling compelled to constantly wash your hands because you are obsessed with the fear you’ll catch a serious illness if you don’t.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral condition that causes symptoms such as short attention span, being easily distracted and being unable to sit still because you are constantly fidgeting (hyperactivity).

In addition, children with Tourette’s syndrome may have other behavioral problems, such as flying into sudden rages or engaging in inappropriate or anti-social behavior with other children.

In many cases, these associated conditions and behavioral problems can be more disruptive and troublesome than Tourette’s itself.