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In this Article

• What is Tourette syndrome?
• What are the symptoms of Tourette syndrome?
• What is the course of Tourette syndrome?
• Can people with Tourette syndrome control their tics?
• What causes Tourette syndrome?
• What disorders are associated with Tourette syndrome?
• How is Tourette syndrome diagnosed?
• How is Tourette syndrome treated?
• Is Tourette syndrome inherited?
• What is the prognosis for Tourette syndrome?
• What is the best educational setting for children with Tourette syndrome?
• What research is being done for Tourette syndrome?
• Where can I get more information about Tourette syndrome?
• Patient Comments: Tourette Syndrome - Treatments
• Tourette Syndrome Index

Tics come and go over time, varying in type, frequency, location, and severity. The first symptoms usually occur in the head and neck area and may progress to include muscles of the trunk and extremities. Motor tics generally precede the development of vocal tics and simple tics often precede complex tics. Most patients experience peak tic severity before the mid-teen years with improvement for the majority of patients in the late teen years and early adulthood. Approximately 10 percent of those affected have a progressive or disabling course that lasts into adulthood.

Although the symptoms of Tourette syndrome are involuntary, some people can sometimes suppress, camouflage, or otherwise manage their tics in an effort to minimize their impact on functioning. However, people with Tourette syndrome often report a substantial buildup in tension when suppressing their tics to the point where they feel that the tic must be expressed. Tics in response to an environmental trigger can appear to be voluntary or purposeful but are not.

Although the cause of Tourette syndrome is unknown, current research points to abnormalities in certain brain regions (including the basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex), the circuits that interconnect these regions, and the neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) responsible for communication among nerve cells. Given the often complex presentation of Tourette syndrome, the cause of the disorder is likely to be equally complex.