Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

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Tourette syndrome

The most common initial symptom is a facial tic -- other tics may follow. Contrary to popular belief, use of socially inappropriate words or phrases (coprolalia) occurs in only a minority of patients. Tics may occur many times a day, but they tend to improve or worsen at different times. The nature of the tics may vary and change with time.

Many patients explain that the tics are not totally involuntary, but that "things just would not feel right" if they did not do them. In this respect Tourette syndrome differs from obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which patients are compelled to do the behaviors out of fear of impending doom.

There are no specific lab tests to confirm a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. However, a thorough examination by a qualified physician should be performed to rule out other causes of these symptoms.

Diagnostic Criteria:

• Both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics have been present at some time during the illness, although not necessarily at the same time.
• Tics occur many times a day, nearly every day or intermittently, throughout a period of more than 1 year. During this period there must not be a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months.
• Onset is before 18 years of age.

Review Date: 07/28/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.