Docyard | Tourette Syndrome can be controlled

Tourette Syndrome is a neuro-behavioural disorder, which is characterised by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalisations called tics. It affects the children and adults due to genetic and environmental factors that usually manifests in adolescence before 18 years of age and can occur in people from any age group. Males are four times more affected than females. The conditions can be chronic and symptoms can last lifetime.

Symptoms

Tics, the hallmark sign of Tourette Syndrome, is a sudden, brief, intermittent movement or sound of muscles. It can range from mild to severe. Severe symptoms can interfere with communication, daily functioning and quality of life.

Two types of Tics

• Simple Tics: Movement that are sudden, brief and repetitive and involves a limited number of muscle groups. Examples are eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking. Vocal sounds like repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds.
• Complex Tics: Distinct and coordinated patterns of movements which involves several muscles. It includes some examples like facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder shrug. Also grunting, repeating one’s own words or phrases, coughing, repeating others’ words or phrases, throat clearing, using vulgar, obscene or swear words, barking, touching objects, hopping, jumping, bending, or twisting. It can get worse with excitement or anxiety or can also get better during focused activities. Tics occur during sleep also.

Causes

It is a genetic condition but it doesn’t mean that if someone has Tics their son or daughter will also be born with it. Studies indicate that person with Tics has between a five-15 per cent chance of having a child, sibling or parent with the condition. It now believed believed that Tics involves multiple genes.

Supressing Tics

Some symptoms are involuntary but some can be suppressed or managed. It is a premonitory urge that built a pressure, tension or energy that is relieved when the tic is expressed. The temporary ability to withhold or suppress a tic is something like the feeling of holding in a sneeze or trying not to scratch an insect bite. Suppressing tic can take a lot of energy. It involves a high level of concentration and it makes it difficult for the child to pay attention to other tasks such as paying attention in class.

Diagnosis

Doctors verify that the patient has had both motor and vocal tics for at least one year. There is no blood, laboratory, or imaging tests needed for diagnosis. Just the MRI or CT scan, electroencephalogram (EEG) studies in the rare cases are done.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no one medication that is helpful to all people with Tics, nor any medication completely eliminates symptoms. In fact, all the medications have side effects that can be managed by initiating treatment, slowly and reducing the dose when side effects occur. Common side effects are sedation, weight gain, and cognitive dulling, tremor, dystonic reactions, parkinsonian- like symptoms, and other dyskinetic movements are less common and are readily managed with dose reduction.

Complications

Person with Tourette syndrome often lead healthy, active lives. However, it frequently involves behavioral and social challenges that can harm your self-image. Conditions that are associated with Tourette syndrome include sleep disorders, hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, depression, anxiety disorders, pain related to tics, especially headache and anger-management problems.

How to deal with people having TICs

Studies say that when kids and teens are engrossed in an activity, their tics are milder and less frequent. Exercise, sports and hobbies are amazing ways for kids to focus mental and physical energy. Help them in sensitive way you can this will build confidence in them. Embrace creativity. Activities such as writing, painting, or making music help to focus the mind and to develop.

The Writer is Dr Sumit Singh Director, Neurology, at Agrim Institute of Neuro Sciences Artemis Hospital