Tourette's Syndrome

By Chris, Joel and TomTourette’s Syndrome

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder resulting in uncontrollable tics which can manifest physically or vocally.

A person that has Tourette’s syndromeTourette’s syndrome is a non-degenerative neurological disorder that results in physical tics and vocal outbursts that the person cannot control. The tics of a person with Tourette’s syndrome are worsened by stress, and the side-effects of repressive drugs are often worse than the tics themselves. The syndrome can be recognized from the ages of 2 to 21 and usually lasts until death. The cause of Tourette’s syndrome is currently unknown but scientists believe the factors causing it to be both environmental and genetic. Many people diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome have also been classified as gifted and interestingly enough, many of them also have faster motor co-ordination than their age. The diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome is up to twelve times more likely to occur in juveniles.

A treatment of Tourette’s syndrome is a various array of medicine that can result in less often or more controlled tics, although many of the people do not want to be treated using this method as it can have side effects worse than the tics themselves. An alternative therapy; still in the test stage, is a new kind of brain surgery. The affects of this treatment can be seen in the story of Bianca Saez; available from http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=630300

1. Although it is accepted that Tourette’s syndrome is caused by genetics (nature) how do you think treatment of a person with the Syndrome (nurture) would affect it? (E.g. the violence of the tics, the ability to suppress tics etc.)

2. Would, in your opinion, nurture affect the likelihood of Tourette’s syndrome developing?

3. How would the level of nurturing affect the types of tics? For example, a sufferer of Tourette’s has mostly violent tics due to a violent parent?

Sources:
1. http://www.tourette.org.au/index.php
2. http://www.tourettes-disorder.com/introduction.html
3. http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=630300
4. http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/433/main.html