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Methods for diagnosing Tourette Syndrome
Genetics of Tourette's Syndrome
Methods for diagnosing Tourette Syndrome
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Tourette Syndrome Tourette Syndrome was named for Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the syndrome in 1885. Although the disease was identified in 1885, today in 1996, there still is a mystery surrounding Tourette Syndrome, its causes and possible cures. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that researchers believe is caused by and abnormal metabolism of the neurotransmitters dopamire and serotonin. It is genetically transmitted from parent to child. There is a fifty percent chance of passing the gene on from parent to child (Gaffy,Ottinger). Those most at risk are sons of mothers with Tourette Syndrome. About three-quarters of Tourette Syndrome patients are male. Males with the disorder have a ninety-nine percent chance of displaying symptoms. Females, have a seventy percent chance of displaying symptoms. This ration of 3-4:1 for males and females may be accounted for by referral bias. Also, there is a frequent number of reported cases within the Mennonite religious isolate population in Canada. The specific genetic transmission however, has not been established. Some researchers believe that the mar is on an autosomal dominant trait. Some cases however are sporadic, and there may not be a link to family history involved. These cases are mild however, and not full blown. The onset of Tourette Syndrome must be before the age of fifteen, and usually occurs after the age of two. The mean age onset of motor tics is seven. The mean age onset for vocal tics is nine. In order for a person to be classified as having Tourette Syndrome they must have both multiple motor tics and vocal tics. These tics however do not have to occur everyday. In fact, affected individuals may rarely exhibit all of the symptoms, or all of the tics. The vocal and motor tics must also occur within the same year, for a person to be classified as having Tourette Syndrome. Symptoms can disappear for weeks or months at a time. However if people afflicted with the syndrome try and suppress their tics, they will re occur with increased ferver. Tics increase as a result of tension or stress, and decrease with relaxation or concentration on absorbing a task. Tics are classified into two groups: complex and simple tics. Simple tics are movements or vocalizations which are completely uncomprehendable and meaningless to those not suffering from the disorder (Peiss). Complex tics are movements or vocalizations which make use of more than one muscle group to appear to be meaningful (Peiss). Simple motor tics are: eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging or facial grimacing. Simple vocal tics are: throat clearing, coughing, snorting, baiting, yelping.
Tics are the most common symptom of Tourette syndrome. A tic is an involuntary, repetitive movement of muscles usually in the face, neck, shoulders, trunk and hands (Diane, 2011, p.662). Symptoms of Tourette syndrome is often first noticed during childhood, between ages 7 and 10. Most children with Tourette syndrome also have other medical problems such as ADHD and OCD Tourette syndrome exhibit multiple behavioral symptoms including ADHD and OCD, which, like Tourette syndrome, are clinically diagnosed without testing (Chiu, 2013, p.406). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, motor and vocal tics are classified as simple or complex (Diane, 2011, p.663). Simple motor tics include eye blinking, neck jerking, shoulder shrugging, head banging, head turning, tongue protrusion, nail biting, hair pulling, and facial grimacing (Diane, 2011, p.663). Some examples of complex motor tics are facial gestures, grooming behaviors, hitting or biting oneself, jumping, hopping, touching, squatting, retracing steps, smelling an object, and imitating the movements of ...
Motor tics involve movements of the body. This could include blinking or shrugging of the shoulders. Although there’s no exact known reason for motor tics, stress and lack of sleep can play a role in the occurrence and severity of the tics. Vocal tics are sounds that a person will make with their voice, such as yelling, humming, clearing of the throat, or repeating the words or phases of others. Out of the two, motor tics are more commonly found in people with
-Reilly Philip. Is It In Your Genes. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 2004: 223-228. Print
· genetics: occasionally the disease has a tendency to run in certain families (inherited or genetic predisposition), but this is not common.
Nonspeech signs associated with hypokinetic dysarthria may include characteristics dealing with the face, eyes, hands, arms, and trunk. The individual may have an expressionless look to their face as well as weakness with gestures in the hands, arms, and face that would normally match the person’s prosody when speaking. Overall, their social interaction with others can be emotionless. Eye blinking occurs less frequently than normal and their head gaze does not match where their eyes are looking. These patients swallow infrequently which leads to drooling. A tremor may be present in the jaw, lips, and tongue as well as limited movement during speech even though strength of these structures is often normal.
ASC they may need more reassurance and physical contact and different strategies to aid their communication, such as sensory breaks, to help their focus as they may have a short attention
Tourette’s syndrome is a disorder where the affected individual will consistently exhibit “tics”. In the majority of cases these ticks are minor in character, it may just be the urge to blink, or make certain facial gestures. Less than 15% of individuals exhibit coprolalia, which is the unwarranted exclamations of profanities or other socially forbidden remarks. Perhaps those in our generation who are aware of Tourette’s syndrome have learned its symptoms through pop culture, which has glamorized (to some extent) the more severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome in YouTube videos or the animated satire of South Park. Most with Tourette’s syndrome have been diagnosed 5-8 years in childhood and experience the waning of the number and severity of tics by the time the graduate high school. For the most part, Tourette’s syndrome alone will not prevent an individual from success in the institutions of society, as it doesn’t affect the intelligence or capability of individuals. These cases, often called pure TS cases, are usually the exception. More often than not, sufferers of Tourette’s syndrome are more limited socially by common comorbid conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.
For decades after Tourette’s discovery, Tourette Syndrome was believed to b4e a psychological disorder. With the twentieth century and the age of Freud’s psychoanalysis, new ideas and theories about Tourette Syndrome came a dime a dozen. Hysteria, schizophrenia, mental instability, sexual dysfunction, narcissistic disorder, and poor family dynamics were just a few of the speculated causes of that era. (Shimberg, 1995, p.66) It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that researchers work helped our present understanding of Tourette came to be. It was finally acknowledged that the disorder was biologically base...
quite possibly, has more to do with genetics, than other outside factors (CNN). With that being
Although it has been found true that drug and alcohol dependency can be passed down through hereditary there is no concrete evidence I have found that proves that this is a disease.
Tics are a common movement disorder where one involuntarily moves due to unwanted muscle contractions (motor) or vocal outbursts (vocal). Motor tics can cause contractions that can be serious enough to affect activities in normal life. The muscle contradiction relieves urges or sensations felt by the patient. There are also vocal tics. Vocal tics are short, repetitive noises that come in sudden bursts. Tics are repetitive and habitual and are very hard to control. Examples of tics include blinking, clearing the throat, facial twitching, grunting, and shrugging the shoulders.
...e, mouth, face, or whole body; involuntary chewing, sucking, and lip smacking; and jerky movements of the arms, legs, or entire body” (Comer, 2011, p. 379).
So what exactly is Tourette Syndrome (TS)? This is a question that many may not be able to answer with confidence. Popular videos on the internet and shows on TV create an image of individuals with TS as angry, uncontrollable people. These people display periods of rage, yelling phrases, uncontrollable body movements, and shouting swear words. However, there is more to Tourette’s than just that. TS is a neurological condition which causes people to make repetitive, quick movements or sounds they cannot control. These movements or sounds are referred to as tics. Tourette got its name from Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist who first saw the condition in 1885 in a French noblewoman. Symptoms of TS usually begin in childhood, around the ages of five and 10 years. Usually beginning with mild tics, Tourette’s is known to have increasing frequency and variety of tics over time. (Tourette Syndrome Fact Sheet. 2013)
and parental ways. Some that tested out at least 50% due to heredity included a sense of