Essay on Tourette Syndrome - 2025 Words

â€Å"Imagine having poison ivy all over you body, for twenty years and constantly being told not to scratch. You can resist for a while, but eventually you give in† (Marlene Targ Brill 18). Tourette syndrome can be compared to poison ivy in some aspects. Individuals with Tourette syndrome have been suffering with tics and tantrums for hundreds of years, but today there are treatments that can help control the symptoms of Tourettes, allowing sufferers to live a normal life. The history of Tourette syndrome is very interesting. Hundreds of years ago those with Tourettes were thought of very differently all around the world. In some countries they were worshiped and in some countries they were considered possessed. Also,†¦show more content†¦Those with Tourette syndrome paid the price for having Tourette’s. Hundreds of years ago, people with Tourette syndrome were thought to be mysterious though, the outlook has not changed. To this day, there is not a com plete understanding to why or how those with Tourette syndrome act the way they do. Nor is there an exact reason why they have Tourette’s. Doctors and scientists are still researching to put the puzzle together about this disease. There may always be something a little mysterious about Tourettes. Scientists have yet to get to the bottom of Tourette syndrome. Tourette is still a mystery in the eyes of many people. Researchers have discovered that Tourette syndrome is hereditary. They believe that it is caused by mismatched chromosomes. â€Å"Researchers believe that tics are caused by and excess, or oversensitivity to, the brain chemical dopamine. (Dopamine is a chemical which ordinarily helps transmit signals involving control of motor movements from one nerve cell to the next† (Tracy Haerle 6) Scientists were clueless as to why individuals with tics and uncontrollable tantrums acted the way they did. Tics are twitches or quirks of speech or behavior. So psych ologists assumed that it was because of bad parenting techniques. Tourette syndrome is passed on within the family. The first clue that Tourette syndrome is caused by biological factors came in the early 1960s (Tracy Haerle 13). It isShow MoreRelated Tourette Syndrome Essays1139 Words   |  5 PagesTourette Syndrome Tourette syndrome is an inherited severe neurological disorder usually occurring before the age of eighteen and is associated with a degree of facial and body tics sometimes accompanied by random declarations of phrases or obscenities (2,3). The facial and body tics associated with the disorder can be painful and even embarrassing. Involuntary body movements such as jaw snapping, gyrating, hopping, and obscene gesturing are to name a few (1). Tourette Syndrome was namedRead More Tourette Syndrome Essay612 Words   |  3 Pages Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by tics; involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way. Diagnostic criteria include: both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics present at some time, although not necessarily simultaneously, the occurrence of tics many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly everyday or intermittently throughout the span of more than one year; period changes in the num ber, frequently, type and location of theRead More Tourette Syndrome Essay1049 Words   |  5 PagesTourette Syndrome Tourette Syndrome, or TS, affects approximately one hundred thousand Americans of whom you will find in a variety of professions and social settings (7). It is a neurological disease which is characterized by repeated and involuntary body movements and vocal sounds. Before TS was known to be a health problem uncontrollable by the patient, it was seen as nervousness, possession by a spirit, epilepsy or simply as bad habits (5). Today it is known that imbalances in certain brainRead MoreTaking a look at Tourette Syndrome892 Words   |  4 PagesTourette syndrome (TS) is a disorder of the brain that is observed in people who have involuntary movements or vocalizations called tics. Named after Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette who first discovered this disorder, this French neurologist described a noblewoman who exhibited these symptoms in 1885. These tics could range from repetitive movements to inappropriate vocalizations. Early symptoms of Tourette syndrome occur in children at around 3 and 9 years and occur in equal percentages inRead MoreTourette Syndrome Essay761 Words   |  4 PagesSyndromes do not define who a person is. Tourette’s is a syndrome that affects a person’s compulsion control. Dr. Sacks, the neurologist who wrote â€Å"A Surgeon’s Life† has an interest in the disorder, and befriended a surgeon with Tourettes. Tourette Syndrome is a part of a person, but Dr. Bennet shows that it is not who the person is. Those affected by Tourette Syndrome are most commonly categorized as having compulsions, or a lack of control over certain words and phrases. They act as â€Å"one...drivenRead MoreEssay about Tourette Syndrome3755 Words   |  16 PagesTourette Syndrome Works Cited Not Included Tourette Syndrome was named for George Gilles de la Tourette, who first discovered the syndrome in 1885. Today there is still a mystery surrounding the disorder, it?s causes and it?s cures. But one of the biggest mysteries is an associated behavior called coprolalia. This symptom is the uncontrolled swearing or socially unacceptable utterances that some with Tourettes experience. Although despite the media?s fascination, Tourette syndrome is notRead MoreExploring the Disorder, Tourette Syndrome Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesTourette syndrome is a neurological disorder first described by a French physician named Georges Gilles de la Tourette, in 1885. Tourette syndrome (TS) consists of varies abrupt, rapid, involuntary, and repeated movements or vocal sounds, known as tics. â€Å"Until 1970, TS was frequently misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, epilepsy, or nervous habits,† concluding that this mental disorder is extremely rare and has similar ch aracteristics as other mental disorders (Kahn and FawcettRead MoreEssay on Ticcing Away: Tourette Syndrome3162 Words   |  13 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"Tourette Kids† Sometimes we are happy Sometimes we are sad Sometimes we get teased Sometimes we get mad Although we seem different When tics appear each day Remember this disease chose us And no the other way So if we jerk, or yell, or swear Please try not to forget It isn’t us doing it But a disease called Tourette ----Jason Valencia---- Touretter 1986, 10 years old Living with Tourette syndrome gives a deeper insight to the highly misunderstoodRead MoreGilles De La Tourette Syndrome2189 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract: Tourette syndrome is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by both motor and phonic tics over a period of at least one year with the onset in childhood or adolescence. Apart from the tics, most of the patients with Tourette syndrome have associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities consisting of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, rage attacks, sleep issues, depression, and migraine. Patients may also have physical complications directly from violentRead MoreWhat makes me tic?: An investigation into the possible causes of Tourette syndrome and its2400 Words   |  10 PagesWhat makes me tic?: An investigation into the possible causes of Tourette syndrome and its symptoms Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome, commonly known as â€Å"Tourette syndrome,† â€Å"Tourette’s,† or simply â€Å"TS,† is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder producing sudden, repetitive movements and sounds, known as â€Å"tics,† which are beyond an individual’s control. The condition is named after French physician Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first published an account of its symptoms in the 1880s (Felling Singer