Tourette syndrome (also called Tourette's syndrome, Tourette's disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS or, more commonly, simply Tourette's or
TS) is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic; these tics characteristically
wax and wane. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and
chronic tics.
Tourette's was once considered a rare and bizarre syndrome, most often associated with the exclamation of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks (coprolalia). However, this symptom is present in only a small minority of
people with Tourette's. Tourette's is no longer considered a rare condition, but it may not always be correctly identified because most cases are classified as mild. Between 1 and 10 children per 1,000 have Tourette's; as many as 10 per 1,000
people may have tic disorders, with the more common tics of eye blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and
facial movements.
People with Tourette's have normal life expectancy and
intelligence. The severity of the tics decreases for most children as they pass through adolescence, and extreme Tourette's in adulthood is a rarity.
Tics are sudden, repetitive, stereotyped, nonrhythmic movements (motor tics) and utterances (phonic tics) that involve discrete muscle groups. Motor tics are movement-
based tics, while phonic tics are involuntary sounds produced by moving
air through the
nose, mouth, or throat.
Tourette's is diagnosed when multiple motor tics, and at least one phonic tic, are present for more than a year.
