Tourette syndrome is a psychoneurological disorder that is characterized by tics. Tics are spontaneous movements, sounds, or verbal expressions that occur with no control over them. They occur spontaneously.
The syndrome usually begins to develop in childhood, less often in adolescence. Actually many children experience tics in childhood that eventually go away on their own. Every tenth child with these symptoms of neurotic disorder develops Tourette Syndrome.
This syndrome can be diagnosed only when a certain tic (for example, a vocal tic) has been occurring for at least a year. In most patients, these symptoms weaken or completely disappear after puberty. Others can experience tics throughout their lives. Boys have tics four times more often than girls.
In 1885, Gille de la Tourette first described and named this syndrome.
The severity of the syndrome can be determined by using the Tourette Syndrome Severity Scale (TSSS).
Low level: Tics are not noticed at school or in a professional environment. Peers do not notice the problem. The person does not consider their tics as a problem.
Mild level: Tics are noticed by other people and patients are annoyed by this fact. Tics cause difficulties at school or at work.
Severe level: Tics are so strong that they interrupt communication and have a significant
negative effect on productivity. Patients consider their syndrome a very heavy burden.
Tourette Syndrome is characterized by tics. They could be unintentional movements or vocalizations. The term “tic” comes from the French and means “twitch”. Tics are divided into motor and vocal ones, also simple and complex tics.
Motor tics: Simple motor tics are blinking, shrugging, twitching the head, and twitching facial muscles.
Complex motor tics are complex simple motor tics and usually involve objects. This kind of tics may appear as obscene gestures (copropraxia). Sometimes they could be self-destructing — banging their head against the wall, pointing with a pen.
Vocal tics: Simple vocal tics are gargling, screeching, grunting, intense sniffing, and cackling.
Complex vocal tics are uncontrollably occurring words or phrases that have no logical connection with the situation. Usually, these phrases consist of obscene language or swearing (coprolalia).
The range of tics is very large and they are very individual. They are constantly changing and the symptoms could get worse.
Tics don’t disappear during sleep and occur at all stages. However, they are less intense. Usually, patients don’t experience tics early in the morning.