Knowra Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic, beginning before age 18 and persisting for more than a year.
Tic : A sudden, recurrent movement or sound that is difficult to suppress and is not rhythmic. Tourette syndrome is defined by persistent motor and vocal tics.
Motor tic : A brief, recurrent movement such as blinking, head jerking, or shoulder shrugging. Multiple motor tics are required for a Tourette syndrome diagnosis.
Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics : A structured behavioral treatment combining habit reversal, functional assessment, and strategies for managing tics. It is a leading nonmedication treatment for impairing tics.
Georges Gilles de la Tourette : A French neurologist who published a clinical account of the syndrome in 1885. His case series gave the disorder its eponym and an early clinical description.
Corticostriatal-thalamo-cortical circuit : A network linking the cerebral cortex, striatum, and thalamus that helps regulate movement and behavior. Altered signaling in these loops is implicated in tic generation.
Vocal tic : A recurrent sound or utterance, such as sniffing, throat-clearing, or a word. At least one vocal tic must occur, though it need not be a spoken word.
Aripiprazole : An antipsychotic medication used for several conditions, including troublesome tics. It can reduce tics when their impact justifies medication.
Jean-Martin Charcot : A French neurologist who advanced the study of neurological disorders in the nineteenth century. Charcot supervised Gilles de la Tourette and helped establish the syndrome's clinical framing.
Premonitory urge : An uncomfortable sensation or impulse that can precede a tic and ease after it occurs. Many people with Tourette syndrome describe urges that help explain tic timing.
Provisional tic disorder : A tic disorder in which motor and/or vocal tics have lasted less than one year. Duration separates this diagnosis from Tourette syndrome.
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