Tourette's Syndrome Research Paper

Tourette’s Syndrome, in some form, is a disorder that affects 10% of children worldwide, the same percentage as Autism. (TS Parents 1). Although less well-known, this disorder can be just as life-changing as things like Autism, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, (OCD). Tourette’s Syndrome is characterized by tics, involuntary movements or vocalizations, that may cause confusion in social situations. Tourette’s Syndrome is an incurable, sometimes lifelong disorder that involves both vocal and motor tics, as well as social deficiencies. Diagnosis of Tourette’s as of recently, has been questionable. Many in the medical field mistakenly diagnose the disorder as something else, or simply attribute …show more content…
The first type of tic is a motor tic. Motor tics are a kind of physical twitch or spasm that is uncontrollable to the one experiencing it. There are hundreds of different kinds of motor tics such as: clapping, snapping, twitching of eyes or face and spitting (Gallant 1). These motor tics, and others can be attributed to Tourette’s syndrome. The other type of tic, the vocal tic, is quite different. Vocal tics are vocalizations of the mouth that are attributed to Tourette’s. Examples of these are throat clearing, coughing, grunting or barking (Gallant 1). Other vocal tics can include the following: Echolalia, the repetition of words by others, Coprolalia, the utterance of obscene words, and Palilalia, the repetition of one’s own word. Coprolalia, perhaps the most well known of three, is actually quite rare, only occurring in around 8% of cases (Gallant …show more content…
Anxiety occurs in about 49% of cases, and Depression appears in about 25% (CDC 1). These side effects play a heavy role in the lives of those suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome. These percentages are justifiable, considering the various social obstacles faced by those with Tourette’s. These symptoms, both motor and vocal, can be very distracting and disturbing in many social settings. This can cause ostracization of those suffering from Tourette’s. These social obstacles can be attributed to ailments such as depression and anxiety. Although there are no true, straightforward cures for Tourette’s Syndrome, it can be improved by treating its symptoms. There are many ways to treat these symptoms. The first of which is behavioral therapy. Those with Tourette’s can go and see a Psychiatrist or Psychologist to work on improving the severity or frequency of symptoms like tics (Rapoza 1). Although this is effective, it only works up to a certain extent. Very few cases have been fully healed with this