Andrew
10-05-03, 01:40 PM
by: Rebecca Somach
Tics and Tourette's
Tics are brief, rapid movements or sounds that are repeated for no apparent reason. There are two classifications: simple and complex. Simple motor tics include repetitive movements like eye blinking, eye rolling, head jerks, shoulder shrugs or facial grimaces. Examples of simple vocal tics include throat clearing, grunting, barking, coughing, whistling or laughing. The gestures are often attributed to nervousness and may disappear with time. Complex tics are characterized by multiple episodes of involuntary movements and/or vocalizations. Symptoms may wax and wane and last for a year or longer.
One type of complex tics is Tourette's Syndrome. The disorder is named for Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist who first described the symptoms in 1885. Patients with Tourette's experience frequent episodes of motor and vocal tics throughout the day. In rare cases, patients express socially inappropriate behaviors and phrases. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 100,000 Americans have Tourette's Syndrome. The condition is three to four times more common in males than in females. Symptoms typically appear during childhood. In some cases, the frequency and severity of tics decreases with age.
Schoolchildren and Tics
Recently, researchers in Rochester, NY studied the incidence of tics in a group of schoolchildren. The investigators found tics to be much more common than previously believed -- affecting 18.5 percent of children in regular classrooms and 23.4 percent of those in special education classes.
Doctors say it's important to recognize tics in children because the symptoms can interfere with learning and schoolwork. Motor tics may influence handwriting and the ability to take notes and complete legible assignments. Eye, head, and neck movement can interfere with reading. Children with vocal tics may be reluctant to take part in class activities, ask questions or read aloud. Researchers also note that many children with tics also have other conditions that can affect school function, such as ADHD and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Sometimes children can learn to suppress a tic. However, eventually, the tension becomes so strong, the tic "escapes." When the symptoms interfere with school, medications can be prescribed. The drugs don't completely eliminate the symptoms, but can reduce their frequency and severity. There is no cure for tics or Tourette's. However, the symptoms often improve with age and, in some cases, disappear after adolescence.
AUDIENCE INQUIRY
For information on tics and Tourette's:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, http://www.aacap.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, http://www.ninds.nih.gov
Tourette Syndrome Association, 42-40 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361, http://tsa-usa.org
Tics and Tourette's
Tics are brief, rapid movements or sounds that are repeated for no apparent reason. There are two classifications: simple and complex. Simple motor tics include repetitive movements like eye blinking, eye rolling, head jerks, shoulder shrugs or facial grimaces. Examples of simple vocal tics include throat clearing, grunting, barking, coughing, whistling or laughing. The gestures are often attributed to nervousness and may disappear with time. Complex tics are characterized by multiple episodes of involuntary movements and/or vocalizations. Symptoms may wax and wane and last for a year or longer.
One type of complex tics is Tourette's Syndrome. The disorder is named for Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist who first described the symptoms in 1885. Patients with Tourette's experience frequent episodes of motor and vocal tics throughout the day. In rare cases, patients express socially inappropriate behaviors and phrases. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 100,000 Americans have Tourette's Syndrome. The condition is three to four times more common in males than in females. Symptoms typically appear during childhood. In some cases, the frequency and severity of tics decreases with age.
Schoolchildren and Tics
Recently, researchers in Rochester, NY studied the incidence of tics in a group of schoolchildren. The investigators found tics to be much more common than previously believed -- affecting 18.5 percent of children in regular classrooms and 23.4 percent of those in special education classes.
Doctors say it's important to recognize tics in children because the symptoms can interfere with learning and schoolwork. Motor tics may influence handwriting and the ability to take notes and complete legible assignments. Eye, head, and neck movement can interfere with reading. Children with vocal tics may be reluctant to take part in class activities, ask questions or read aloud. Researchers also note that many children with tics also have other conditions that can affect school function, such as ADHD and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Sometimes children can learn to suppress a tic. However, eventually, the tension becomes so strong, the tic "escapes." When the symptoms interfere with school, medications can be prescribed. The drugs don't completely eliminate the symptoms, but can reduce their frequency and severity. There is no cure for tics or Tourette's. However, the symptoms often improve with age and, in some cases, disappear after adolescence.
AUDIENCE INQUIRY
For information on tics and Tourette's:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, http://www.aacap.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, http://www.ninds.nih.gov
Tourette Syndrome Association, 42-40 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361, http://tsa-usa.org