Neurology Search
Neurology Neurology
tourette's%20syndrome%20-and-%20other%20tic%20disorders
TOURETTE'S SYNDROME & OTHER TIC DISORDERS
Tics are sudden, rapid, non-rhytmic, repetitive, motor movements or vocalizations. The mean age of onset is approximately 5 years old.
Tourette's syndrome is the most common form of tic disorder.
There is a strong genetic component showing a 10- to 100-fold increase in the rates of tics and Tourette's syndrome among first-degree relatives of Tourette's syndrome patients.
Simple motor tics are restricted to a single or a few muscle groups and last less than a fraction of a second.
Complex motor tics involve larger muscle groups, usually last longer and appear purposeful and goal-directed.

Introduction

  • Mean age of onset is approximately 5 years
  • There is a strong genetic component showing a 10- to 100- fold increase in the rates of tics & Tourette's syndrome (TS) among 1st-degree relatives of Tourette's syndrome patients

Definition

Tics

  • Sudden, rapid, non-rhythmic, repetitive, motor movements or vocalizations

Etiology

Primary Causes of Tic Disorders

Inherited Tic Disorders

  • Tourette’s syndrome (TS)
  • Huntington’s disease
  • Primary dystonia
  • Neuroacanthosis

Sporadic Tics

  • Transient motor or phonic tics (<1 year duration)
  • Chronic motor or phonic tics (>1 year duration)
  • Adult-onset (recurrent tics)
  • Tourette's syndrome

Secondary Causes of Tic Disorders

Primary Neurologic Disorders

  • Head trauma
  • Stroke
  • Encephalitis
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Neurosyphilis
  • Sydenham’s chorea
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Down syndrome
  • Tuberous sclerosis
  • Fragile X syndrome
  • Klinefelter’s syndrome
  • Chromosomal disorders
  • XYY karyotype
  • Duchenne’s disease
  • Hallervorden-Spatz disease
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Primary Neuropsychiatric Disorders

  • Mental retardation
  • Schizophrenia
  • Asperger’s syndrome/autism

Drugs Which May Induce or Worsen Tics

  • Stimulants (eg Methylphenidate, Amphetamines, Pemoline)
  • Cocaine
  • Antipsychotics
  • Antidepressants
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antihistamines
  • Lithium
  • Opioids & opioid withdrawal
  • Levodopa

Other movement disorders that need to be ruled out:

  • Eg myoclonic movements, torsion dystonia, chorea, stereotypies
Editor's Recommendations
Most Read Articles
Evaluation of the Quality of Guidelines for Myasthenia Gravis with the AGREE II Instrument
17 Nov 2014
The methodological quality of clinical practice guidelines for myasthenia gravis (MG) remains uncertain. Thus, an evaluation on these guidelines was conducted.
Efficacy and safety of rituximab for myasthenia gravis
12 Oct 2014
Recent studies showed that rituximab is an effective treatment for myasthenia gravis but only limited data were available. Thus, a review on its efficacy and safety was conducted in this study.
Cell-based assay shows promises in diagnosing RIPA-negative myasthenia gravis in children
01 Jun 2015
According to an English study, cell-based assay shows efficacy in the diagnosis of radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA)-negative myasthenia gravis, especially in children.
Myasthenia gravis patients achieve remission through autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
09 May 2016
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) provides long-term symptom- and treatment-free remission in patients with severe myasthenia gravis (MG), a retrospective cohort study has shown.