1. Tourette’s Syndrome
By Natalie Parker

2. What is Tourette’s Syndrome?
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a genetic neurological disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics.
A tic is a sudden, repetitive muscle movement or sound displayed unconsciously.

3. What causes Tourette’s?
It is not currently known how this disorder is inherited, but initial studies suggested that Tourette Syndrome has autosomal dominant mode of inheritance.
A mutation of the SLITRK1 gene was identified in a small number of patients with Tourette’s Syndrome.
This protein is considered to play an important role in the development of nerve cells, including the growth of specialized extensions that allow the cell to communicate with nearby cells.

4. Causes of Tourette’s Continued…
Another researcher stated that Tourette’s Syndrome could be caused by the following three problems in the nerve communication process inside the brain:
(1) abnormalities in certain brain regions including basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex
(2) impaired circuits that connect these regions
(3) neurotransmitters problems including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

5. Causes of Tourette’s Continued…
Although early family studies suggested an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, more recent studies suggest that the pattern of inheritance is much more complex
Although there may be a few genes with substantial effects, it is also possible that many genes with smaller effects and environmental factors may play a role in the development of Tourette’s.

6. What are the Symptoms? The symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome are tics.
Tics are classified as either simple or complex.
Simple motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements that involve a limited number of muscle groups.
Some of the more common simple tics include eye blinking and other vision irregularities, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking.
Simple vocalizations might include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds

7. Symptoms Continued…
Complex tics are distinct, coordinated patterns of movements involving several muscle groups.
Complex motor tics might include facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder shrug.
Other complex motor tics may actually appear purposeful, including sniffing or touching objects, hopping, jumping, bending, or twisting.
More complex vocal tics include words or phrases

8. Treatment
Effective medications are also available to treat some of the associated neurobehavioral disorders that can occur in patients with Tourette’s Syndrome. 
Recent research shows that stimulant medications such as methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine can lessen ADHD symptoms in people with TS without causing tics to become more severe

9. Treatment Continued…
Psychotherapy may also be helpful. Although psychological problems do not cause TS, such problems may result from TS.
Psychotherapy can help the person better cope with the disorder and deal with the secondary social and emotional problems that sometimes occur.
Although there is no cure for TS, the condition in many individuals improves in the late teens and early 20s. As a result, some may actually become symptom-free or no longer need medication for tic suppression.

10. Conclusion
It is clear that Tourette’s Syndrome can cause lifelong struggles for any individual dealing with this genetic disorder.
Although the exact cause of Tourette’s is still being debated and yet to be fully discovered, research has been done to help treat the tics and other symptoms that can come with having Tourette’s.
Hopefully in the future, researchers will find the mutation that causes this genetic disease and there will be no more individuals growing up with the constant struggle of Tourette’s Syndrome.

11. Inspirational Tourette's Syndrome Sufferers.
Video: Children with Tourette’s

12. References
Health Central Network. Health Encyclopedia. Tourette’s syndrome
Marrow, Alina. Tourette’s syndrome Retrieved July 25, 2008 from
Marshall, Paul. Tourette’s disorder Retrieved July 25, 2008 from
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Tourette’s
disorder. Retrieved July 25, 2008 from
Peterson, Sam. Tics and tourette’s syndrome in children Retrieved
July 25, 2008 from