Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that can help answer the question.
Query: Is there a cure for Tourettes?
Tourette syndrome (also Tourette's syndrome or TS) is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of motor and phonic tics. Treatment of Tourette syndrome has the goal of managing symptoms to achieve optimum functioning, rather than eliminating symptoms; not all persons with Tourette's require treatment, and there is no cure or universally effective medication.[1][2][3] Explanation and reassurance alone are often sufficient treatment;[2] education is an important part of any treatment plan.[4]
Not everyone with Tourette's wants treatment or a "cure", especially if that means they may "lose" something else in the process. Researchers Leckman and Cohen, and former US Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) national board member Kathryn Taubert, believe that there may be latent advantages associated with an individual's genetic vulnerability to developing Tourette syndrome, such as a heightened awareness and increased attention to detail and surroundings that may have adaptive value. There is evidence to support the clinical lore that children with "TS-only" (Tourette's in the absence of comorbid conditions) are unusually gifted: neuropsychological studies have identified advantages in children with TS-only. Children with TS-only are faster than the average for their age group on timed tests of motor coordination.
Notable individuals with Tourette syndrome are found in all walks of life, including musicians, athletes, media figures, teachers, physicians, and authors. The best-known example of a person who may have used obsessive–compulsive traits to advantage is Samuel Johnson, the 18th-century English man of letters, who likely had Tourette syndrome as evidenced by the writings of James Boswell. Johnson wrote "A Dictionary of the English Language" in 1747, and was a prolific writer, poet, and critic. Tim Howard, described by the "Chicago Tribune" as the "rarest of creatures – an American soccer hero" and by the TSA as the "most notable individual with Tourette Syndrome around the world" says that his neurological makeup gave him an enhanced perception and an ability to hyper-focus that contributed to his success on the field.
Tourette described the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome in nine patients in 1884, using the name "maladie des tics". Charcot renamed the syndrome "Gilles de la Tourette's illness" in his honor.
The exact cause of Tourette's is unknown, but it is well established that both genetic and environmental factors are involved. Genetic epidemiology studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of cases of Tourette's are inherited, although the exact mode of inheritance is not yet known and no gene has been identified. In other cases, tics are associated with disorders other than Tourette's, a phenomenon known as "tourettism".
Children with Tourette's Syndrome discuss the challenges of living with Tourette's, a misunderstood and often stigmatizing condition. They demonstrate some of their tics, and talk about their lives with tics including embarrassing and isolating situations at school and among friends. Professionals and experts offer further information about Tourette's on the DVD.
Tourette syndrome is an inherited neurological disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of motor and phonic tics. Tourette's is a misunderstood and stigmatizing condition, often mentioned in the popular media. Tourette syndrome was once considered a rare and bizarre syndrome. It is no longer considered rare, but is often undetected because of the wide range of severity, with most cases classified as mild. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes provisional and chronic tics. With increased knowledge of the full range of severity of Tourette syndrome—including milder cases—it has shifted from a condition only recognized in its most severe and impairing forms, to one recognized as a condition which is often mild, and which may be associated with some advantages and some disadvantages.
Although it has been speculated that Mozart had Tourette's, no Tourette's expert or organization has presented credible evidence to support such a conclusion, and there are problems with the arguments supporting the diagnosis: tics are not transferred to the written form, as is supposed with Mozart's scatological writings; the medical history in retrospect is not thorough; side effects due to other conditions may be misinterpreted; "it is not proven whether written documents can account for the existence of a vocal tic" and "the evidence of motor tics in Mozart's life is doubtful."
Pre-dating Gilles de la Tourette's 1885 publication, likely portrayals of TS or tic disorders in fictional literature are Mr. Pancks in "Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens and Nikolai Levin in "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy. The entertainment industry has been criticized for depicting those with Tourette syndrome as social misfits whose only tic is coprolalia, which has furthered stigmatization and the public's misunderstanding of those with Tourette's. The coprolalic symptoms of Tourette's are also fodder for radio and television talk shows in the US and in the British media.
Some forms of OCD may be genetically linked to Tourette's. A subset of OCD is thought to be causally related to Tourette's and may be a different expression of the same factors that are important for the expression of tics. The genetic relationship of ADHD to Tourette syndrome, however, has not been fully established.
The Tourette Association of America (TAA), based in Bayside, New York, United States, is a non-profit voluntary organization and the only US health-related organization serving people with Tourette syndrome. It was founded in 1972 as the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) by five couples, parents of children with Tourette syndrome including Bill and Eleanor Pearl, along with psychiatrist Arthur K. Shapiro and his wife, Elaine. In 2015, the organization's name was changed from TSA to TAA.
Discussions with adults who have Tourette syndrome reveal that not everyone wants treatment or a "cure", especially if that means they may "lose" something else in the process. Some believe that there may even be latent advantages associated with the genetic vulnerability. Research supports some advantages associated with Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome (TS or simply Tourette's) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. These tics characteristically wax and wane, can be suppressed temporarily, and are typically preceded by an unwanted urge or sensation in the affected muscles. Some common tics are eye blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. Tourette's does not adversely affect intelligence or life expectancy.
Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes provisional, transient and persistent (chronic) tics. While the exact cause is unknown, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There are no specific tests for diagnosing Tourette's; it is not always correctly identified because most cases are mild and the severity of tics decreases for most children as they pass through adolescence. Extreme Tourette's in adulthood, though sensationalized in the media, is a rarity; tics are often unnoticed by casual observers.
In most cases, medication for tics is not necessary. Education is an important part of any treatment plan, and explanation and reassurance alone are often sufficient treatment. Many individuals with Tourette's go undiagnosed or never seek medical care. Among those who are seen in specialty clinics, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are present at higher rates. These co-occurring diagnoses often cause more impairment to the individual than the tics; hence, it is important to correctly identify associated conditions and treat them.
About 1% of school-age children and adolescents have Tourette's. It was once considered a rare and bizarre syndrome, most often associated with coprolalia (the utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks), but this symptom is present in only a small minority of people with Tourette's. The condition was named by Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–1893) on behalf of his resident, Georges Albert Édouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette (1857–1904), a French physician and neurologist, who published an account of nine patients with Tourette's in 1885.
In 2015, the Tourette Syndrome Association changed its name to the Tourette Association of America. As of 2006, the Tourette Syndrome Association had contacts in more than 50 countries. The Tourette syndrome International database Consortium (TIC) brought together data on clinical samples of patients with Tourette syndrome from twenty-two countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, People's Republic of China, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, the US and the UK); Tourette's has also been studied in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Spain.
Regardless of symptom severity, individuals with Tourette's have a normal life span. Although the symptoms may be lifelong and chronic for some, the condition is not degenerative or life-threatening. Intelligence is normal in those with Tourette's, although there may be learning disabilities. Severity of tics early in life does not predict tic severity in later life, and prognosis is generally favorable, although there is no reliable means of predicting the outcome for a particular individual. The gene or genes associated with Tourette's have not been identified, and there is no potential "cure". A higher rate of migraines than the general population and sleep disturbances are reported.
At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, La Tourette won two silver medals behind Canadian swimmer Ryan Cochrane. In the 1500 m freestyle, La Tourette finished with a time of 14:54.48, five seconds behind the eventual winner Cochrane. In the 800 m freestyle, held three days after the 1500 m freestyle, La Tourette finished with a time of 7:51.62. La Tourette said he was not disappointed with his performances but only regretted not staying with Cochrane more.
Tourette, Tourettes or Tourrettes may also refer to:
An incident of disinformation about coprolalia and Tourette's involved Dr. Laura Schlessinger. According to the former Tourette Syndrome Association (name changed to Tourette Association of America in 2015), she berated a caller inquiring whether a child with TS should attend a family wedding, declaring that a majority of those with the condition exhibited coprolalia and should be excluded from many social situations, provoking an avalanche of angry calls about the misinformation. Garrison Keillor, radio show host of NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion", produced a segment in 2006, titled "Broadway Tourette's", about segregating people with stereotypical TS from other passengers on a cruise ship, prompting a press release from the Tourette Syndrome Association.
Tourettism refers to the presence of Tourette-like symptoms in the absence of Tourette syndrome, as the result of other diseases or conditions, known as "secondary causes".
I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me is a 2005 documentary film featuring children between the ages of six and thirteen with Tourette syndrome. The film examines the lives of more than a dozen children who have Tourette's, and explores the challenges they face.
Other television and film productions depicting persons with TS, or using coprolalia as a plot device, include an episode of "Ally McBeal", in which Anne Heche portrays a woman with Tourette's whose leg tic causes her to run over and kill her boyfriend; "An Angel on my Tree", an episode of "Touched by an Angel" in which a father commits manslaughter in reaction to an event that involved his son who had Tourette's; an episode of "The Simpsons", in which Bart Simpson is mentioned to claimed to have Tourette's to excuse himself from a test; and an episode of "South Park", "Le Petit Tourette", in which Eric Cartman pretends to have Tourette's to get away with saying offensive things. The episode received a mixed reaction from the Tourette Syndrome Association, which commented that it provided useful information while at the same time perpetuating outright myths about coprolalia and Tourette syndrome.
Tourette's, or Tourette syndrome, is a neurological condition.
The TAA's mission is to identify the cause of, find the cure for and control the effects of Tourette syndrome. As of 2008, it had 35 US chapters, 300 support groups, and international contacts around the world.
Working with the New York patient families who founded the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA, since renamed to TAA) in 1972, the Shapiros advanced the argument that Tourette's was neurological rather than psychological, and the medical view of Tourette syndrome was "freed from its century-long submission to discredited psychoanalytic theory". In 1978, the Shapiros published a "landmark book" on the disorder, "Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome". In 1981, Shapiro was chosen honorary co-president of the First International Tourette Syndrome Symposium, held in New York. Since the 1990s, a more neutral view of Tourette's is emerging as a condition involving an interaction between biological vulnerability and adverse environmental events.
There is no cure for Tourette's and no medication which works universally for all individuals without significant adverse effects;[3] knowledge and understanding are the best treatments available for tics.[2][4] Management of the symptoms of Tourette's may include pharmacological, behavioral and psychological therapies. While pharmacological treatment is reserved for more severe symptoms, other types of treatments may help avoid or improve symptoms of depression or social isolation, and improve supportive family functioning. Educating the patient, family, and surrounding community (school, church, friends, etc.) is a key part of treatment.[1]
Several documentaries have attempted to portray Tourette's syndrome accurately and to advocate for greater understanding of persons with Tourette's, while others focus on sensationalizing coprolalia. The Emmy Award-winning television documentary film "I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me" was produced by HBO in conjunction with the Tourette Syndrome Association, featuring children between the ages of six and 13. It was described by the "Cincinnati Enquirer" as "the best simple overview yet of Tourette's". "John's Not Mad" (1989) and "The Boy Can't Help It" (2000) are documentaries about a young man from Scotland, who has severe Tourette's and coprolalia. "Twitch and Shout" examines a society that is quick to judge a person who strays outside the limits of conventional behavior and was nominated for an Emmy. A 2007 British documentary, "Tourette De France", followed a group of teenagers with Tourette's on a trip to Paris; many of the teenagers featured in the program had coprolalia. "Movements and Madness: Gusti Ayu" is a documentary about the struggles of a young woman with severe Tourette's in a small village in Indonesia. A 2011 BBC documentary, "Tourettes: I Swear I Can Sing", followed aspiring musician Ruth Ojadi as she explains her experience of TS and her struggle to find self-confidence in her singing.
The Shapiros, working with the patient families who founded in 1972 the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA, renamed to Tourette Association of America in 2015), advanced the argument that Tourette's is a neurological, rather than psychological, disorder, and worked to persuade the media to promote information about Tourette's. Although the original case reports of TS were by French neurologists, the "focus moved to New York in the 1970s" and "the centre for the most committed progress in TS continued to be the USA, facilitated by the success of the Tourette Syndrome Association".