Tourette Syndrome 101

 

Tourette Syndrome is a “tic” disorder that affects your nervous system. It is characterized by involuntary and repetitive movements and/or vocalizations referred to as “tics.” 

There are two broad categories of tics: motor and vocal tics. Motor tics are physical movements that can be simple or complex. Examples of simple motor tics are blinking, grimacing, jaw movements, bobbing or jerking your head, shrugging your shoulders, stretching your neck, and jerking your arm. Complex motor tics involve combinations of body parts and physical movements. Examples of complex motor tics include hopping, twirling and jumping.

The second broad category of tics that characterize Tourette’s Syndrome Calgary is vocal tics. Like motor tics, vocal tics come in two categories: simple and complex. Simple vocal or phonic tics are the making of sounds like sniffing, shouting, throat clearing, grunting and hooting. Simple vocal tics are not specific words, but sounds. Complex vocal or phonic tics, on the other hand, consist of words and phrases. They may or may not be recognizable, but they’re almost always out of context and sometimes inappropriate. Popular media would have you believe that vocal tics are almost always profane or offensive. That is simply not the case, though coprolalia — vocal tics that include profanity, ethnic slurs or other offensive language — do occur in roughly 10 to 15% of cases.

Not every occurrence of tics is an indication that the affected individual has Tourette’s Syndrome. Psychologists in Calgary diagnose tic conditions across three different levels:

Diagnosis	Characteristics
Provisional tic disorder	If motor and/or vocal tics have been present for less than a year
Persistent (Chronic) motor or vocal tic disorder	If you’ve experienced either motor or vocal tics for more than one year
Tourette Syndrome	Tics started to appear before the age of 18 and are not caused by any substance use or other medical condition. You have experienced at least two motor tics and at least one vocal tic, though not necessarily at the same time for more than one year (though the presence of the tics may fluctuate over time).

An estimated 1 in 160 school-aged children experiences Tourette Syndrome, though the same number of children may also be undiagnosed. Tourette Syndrome affects people of all races and ethnic groups but is three to four times more likely to affect boys than girls. Adults are affected by Tourette Syndrome as well as children, but at lower rates, because tics generally decline in frequency by a child’s late adolescence.

Children and adolescents affected by Tic Disorder are frequently (approximately 85% of the time) diagnosed with other co-occurring conditions. The most common co-occurring conditions that accompany Tourette Syndrome are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); obsessive-compulsive disorders or behaviours (OCD/OCB); aggression, defiance and rage; anxiety; learning disabilities; social skills deficits; sleep disorders; and sensory processing issues.

Tics most commonly emerge when a child is between the age of five and seven, and most frequently begin with a motor tic affecting the child’s neck and head. Those tics tend to increase in significance and frequency between a child’s growth between 8 and 12, before improving by late adolescence. Only a minority of children with tics continue to experience them to any significance into adulthood.

The cause of Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders is largely unknown. It seems likely from the tendency of diagnoses to cluster in family groups that some genetic influences are relevant (something borne out in some studies). Research into environmental, developmental and other risk factors is ongoing and is suspected, but is yet to be confirmed.

If you’re a parent concerned about motor or vocal tics present in your child or adolescent, consult with a psychologist near you for advice, support and information about Tourette’s syndrome treatment in Calgary.