What Is Tourette Syndrome?
Tourette Syndrome is an inherited, neurological
disorder characterized by repeated and involuntary body movements
(tics) and uncontrollable vocal sounds. In a minority of cases,
the vocalizations can include socially inappropriate words and
phrases -- called coprolalia. These outbursts are neither intentional
nor purposeful. Involuntary symptoms can include eye blinking,
repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking movements,
shoulder shrugging or jumping.
These and other symptoms typically appear before the age of 18
and the condition occurs in all ethnic groups with males affected
3 to 4 times more often than females. Although the symptoms of
TS vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe,
the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Associated
conditions can include attentional problems, impulsiveness and
learning disabilities.
Most people with TS lead productive lives and participate in
all professions. Increased public understanding and tolerance
of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to people with Tourette
Syndrome.
The disorder was named for a French neuropsychiatrist who successfully
assessed the disorder in the late 1800s:
Georges Gilles de la Tourette
Georges Gilles de la Tourette (born Georges Albert Edouard Brutus
Gilles de la Tourette!) in 1857, made several valuable contributions
to medicine and literature. His greatest achievements were in
the study of hysteria and hypnotism; a competent neuropsychiatrist,
he was particularly interested in therapy. With a colleague, he
wrote a highly perceptive analysis of Sister Jeanne des Anges'
account of her "hysterical illness" which was caused
by her unrequited love for a priest.
Articles
AJ Lees,Georges Gilles de la Tourette: The Man And His Times,
Rev. Neurol. (Paris), 1986, 142, 11, 808-816.
Howard I. Kushner, Medical Fictions: The Case of the Cursing
Marquise and the (Re)Construction of Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome,
Bull. Hist. Med., 1995, 69:224-254.
Howard I Kushner and Louise S Kiessling,The Controversy over
the Classification of Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome,1800-1995,
Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Vol 39/3, Spring 1996.
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
