Hi everyone

It has been suggested that it would be a really good idea to have a thread on each forum that explains the specific condition that we are here for.

So this thread is here for us to explain what Tourette Syndrome is.

I would greatly value input from everyone here, so please do add to the very basic description that I am going to provide.


Tourette Syndrome, aka TS, is named after a 19th century French physician Gilles de la Tourette, but was actually first documented by a Dr Itard in France in 1825

It is a neurological disorder that is characterised by involuntary tics, predominantly motor, but also vocal. The current diagnostic criterion for TS is that the patient must have displayed both motor and vocal tics for at least one year, with characteristic waxing and waning.

Tics can be simple (involving a single movement or vocalization) or complex (involving multiple movements or vocalizations)

Research is ongoing, but it is believed that the basal ganglia are the area of the brain most involved in TS, and that there is a hypersensitivity of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system

TS is frequently accompanied by other neurological disorders like Attention Deficit Disorder(with and without Hyperactivity), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction etc

Genetic inheritance is a primary cause of TS, but other factors may also be responsible for the condition in some people. It seems to manifest more frequently in males than females and usually has an onset before the age of 18



so, there is Tourette Syndrome 101....
I have lots more to add, but I am really more interested in hearing other descriptions from you first.