The disorder usually begins in childhood. Symptoms appear around age seven, and 90 percent of cases develop before age 10. Boys are four times more likely to develop TS than girls. About one person in 2,000 has Tourette syndrome.

At least 25 percent of all children display a simple tic. However, these tics go away within a year and are not a sign of TS. A person with Tourette syndrome may have tics for a lifetime, although the frequency and type of tic may change. About 35 percent of people with TS experience an easing of symptoms in adolescence; most others find that, even if they do not disappear, tics become less frequent and less severe in adulthood. The reverse can also be true: Some people with mild symptoms develop severe tics in their twenties or early thirties.

People with Tourette syndrome may suffer social embarrassment or emotional stress due to their tics. The disorder does not affect their intelligence or ability to lead a full life.

What Causes Tourette Syndrome?

In the Middle Ages, people who displayed movement and vocal tics were thought to be possessed by demons. Gilles de la Tourette, the French physician who studied the disorder in the 1800s, thought TS had a physiological basis, which means that its cause was physical, not mental. Modern scientists think Gilles de la Tourette was right.

Scientists believe TS is caused by an abnormality in the brain's neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that carry signals from one nerve cell to another. The affected neurotransmitter is dopamine, a chemical that controls movement. Research indicates that some forms of TS are inherited, which means they are passed down from parent to child.

How Do Doctors Treat Tourette Syndrome?

An accurate and prompt diagnosis is important to a person with Tourette syndrome, especially if the symptoms surface during childhood. People with TS often are misunderstood or ridiculed, and children may be punished for behavior that is out of their control.

Most people with Tourette syndrome do not need medication. Medication is reserved for people with severe or disruptive cases of TS. For those with severe tics, medication can reduce the frequency and severity of their symptoms so they can function at school, at work, and in social settings.

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