What Is Tourette’s Syndrome?
Tourette’s syndrome is a disorder characterized by motor and verbal tics that manifest during childhood. It causes the child to make sudden, repetitive and uncontrollable movements or sounds that can affect their quality of life. However, because of the way it is often portrayed in movies, we often get the wrong image about this syndrome.
It is often shown as a condition in which the person shouts insults, swear words, or socially inappropriate comments (coprolalia). Or a condition in which obscene involuntary gestures are performed (copropraxis). However, despite widespread public disclosure, these are rare manifestations of Tourette’s syndrome.
What does Tourette’s syndrome consist of?
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that starts in childhood or adolescence, before the age of 18 years. It usually starts between the ages of five and nine, and one of its first manifestations is facial tics, such as blinking or wrinkling the nose.
Tics vary over time, both in type and in intensity and frequency, with periods of remission and exacerbation. The tics that may appear are:
- Motors: repetitive, sudden and uncontrollable movements of different parts of the body.
- Vocals: involuntary emission of sounds or words so brief and intermittent.
In turn, both motor and vocal tics can be simple or complex.
- Simple: among the simple ones are those that involve a single muscle group, such as blinking or shrugging, or clearing your throat or grunting, in the case of vocals.
- Complexes: involve several muscle groups and are more elaborate. For example, jumping, rotating or touching a part of the body, between motor ticks. Or, for vocal tics, uttering insults, repeating one’s own words or those of other people (echolalia).
All these movements and expressions are involuntary and uncontrollable for the child and are usually preceded by a premonitory impulse. This refers to an uncomfortable bodily sensation (such as an itch or tickling, similar to what happens with a sneeze), which is only relieved when the tic appears.
With great effort, some children manage to suppress their tics temporarily. But eventually, when the tension builds, they reappear.
Considerations to keep in mind
Approximately between 0.4 and 3.8% of children are affected by this syndrome. Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to be among its causes, and it affects men about three times more often than women.
In addition, other disorders and conditions related to the presence of Tourette syndrome were found. Especially attention problems (ADHD), behavioral problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety or depression.
Fortunately, the disorder usually disappears with age and very few cases are found that maintain a high severity after adolescence. On the other hand, there is an increase in symptoms during periods when the child is tired, sick or under stressful conditions.
Tourette’s syndrome does not affect the intelligence or health of people who suffer from it, despite the inconvenience of the tics themselves.
Generally, these children face serious lack of understanding on the part of other people, which may make them feel more anxious and embarrassed. Therefore, it is important that people who live with them are informed and show understanding.
Finally, we must remember that when these tics are present during childhood, it does not necessarily mean that this disorder exists.
On the contrary, tics are a very frequent phenomenon in children and, in general, they appear temporarily and disappear without major difficulties. Tourette’s syndrome is an uncommon disease, and cases of high severity are even rarer.
Tourette syndrome treatment
There is no single drug to fight the syndrome. On the contrary, several options are available depending on the specific case. However, these are medications that can cause significant side effects. Therefore, when tics are not disabling, it is preferable not to use them.
Regarding psychological treatment, the habit reversal technique has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms. Relaxation techniques can also be very supportive, as can the treatment of other associated psychological conditions that may be present, such as ADHD or OCD.
