Tourette Syndrome: All You Need to Know About This Nervous System Disorder

Tics are caused by Tourette Syndrome, which is a neurological disorder. 

Some experts have also stated that the tics could be caused by stress, anxiety, and depression.

 

WHAT IS TOURETTE SYNDROME?

A condition of the nervous system that makes people develop tics or sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that occur repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from doing these things. Here are some of the most frequent forms of tics are:

• Blinking

• Sniffing

• Throat clearing

• Grunting

• Grimacing

• Head movements

• Shoulder movements

CAUSES

To date, the exact cause of the disorder is unknown. However, it is believed that the cause of tics could be attributed to the mal-development of the brain. The disorder, which usually starts in childhood, might prevent one from engaging or interacting with people.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of Tourette Syndrome usually vary from one person to the other. Some tics are so mild that they are not even noticeable. Senior Consultant and Unit head, Neurology, Paras Hospitals, Dr Rajnish Kumar told that stress, excitement, or being sick or tired can make tics worse. He revealed that the more severe ones can be embarrassing and can affect your social life or work. Tourette has been linked to different parts of the brain, especially with the area called the basal ganglia. Ganglia controls body movements. Researchers believe that the trouble in this brain network might have a role in Tourette syndrome.

TREATMENT

To treat Tourette Syndrome, behavioural therapy or psychotherapy is often recommended. The therapy involves one-on-one counselling with a mental health professional. So far no medications have been discovered or invented that can cure Tourette Syndrome. However, Kumar has suggested some medications like risperidone (Risperdal), Haloperidol (Haldol), and aripiprazole (Abilify), or other neuroleptic drugs to manage the symptoms.