Tourette Syndrome

Overview :

The first references in the literature to what might today be classified as Tourette syndrome largely describe individuals who were wrongly believed to be possessed by the devil. In 1885 Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist, provided the first formal description of this syndrome, which he described as an inherited neurological condition characterized by motor and vocal tics.

Although vocal and motor tics are the hallmark of Tourette syndrome, such other symptoms as the expression of socially inappropriate comments or behaviors, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, self-injuring behavior, depression, and anxiety also appear to be associated with Tourette syndrome. Most research suggests that Tourette syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder, although a gene responsible for Tourette syndrome has not yet been discovered.

Tourette syndrome is found in all populations and all ethnic groups, but is three to four times more common in males than females and is more common in children than adults. The exact frequency of Tourette syndrome is unknown, but estimates range from 0.05% to 3%.