Tourette Syndrome Research Paper

What exactly is Tourette Syndrome? It's a disorder that causes random spastic and normally strange movements, sounds, words, or even a combination of the three. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it's "Tourette Syndrome is a rare inherited neurological disorder characterized by recurrent motor and phonic tics (involuntary muscle spasms and vocalizations). It is three times more prevalent in males than in females. Although the cause of Tourette syndrome is unknown, evidence suggests that there may be an abnormality of one or more chemical neurotransmitters in the brain." (http://www.britannica.com/science/Tourette-syndrome) As stated in the quote, the reason that Tourette even exists is unknown. There are speculations that it's a defect in the brain, …show more content…
The DBS device is a “foreign body” in the brain and under the skin so infection is a primary worry, and can occur in 5% or more of implanted patients. One of the biggest worries is that the during placement of the DBS electrodes there will be bleeding or alternatively a stroke that may lead to weakness, numbness, changes in vision, and/or changes in speech. The DBS device can fracture/break, migrate out of position, or malfunction requiring an another surgical procedure to replace or reposition the electrode. DBS frequently affects speech, and particularly verbal fluency (getting words out of the mouth). There can be worsening of cognition or mood, and in rare cases associated suicidal thoughts (another reason why patients must be carefully screened and followed)." (http://www.tsa-usa.org/news/DBSfall09.html)

Other things that may suppress, or at least help control the tics are singing, comedy, dancing, and a few others. These "releases" tend to either suppress (As stated above), and sometimes completely remove the effects (But only for the time the "help" is being implemented.) It is known that many Tourette victims have musical