The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders has a wealth of information to
help parents, doctors, educators and students understand Tourette Syndrome. Visit http://www.njcts.org/
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal (phonic) sounds called tics. The disorder is named for Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, the pioneering French neurologist who first described an 86-year-old French noblewoman with the condition in 1885.
TS symptoms generally appear before the individual is 18 years old and may often be accompanied by other disorders such as ADD/ADHD, OCD, depression, anxiety and learning disabilities. TS can affect people of all ethnic groups; males are affected 3 to 4 times more often than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have full-blown TS, and that perhaps as many as 1 in 200 show a partial expression of the disorder, such as chronic multiple tics or transient childhood tics.
The natural course of TS varies from patient to patient. Although TS symptoms range from very mild to quite severe, the majority of cases fall in the mild category.
Visit www.njcts.org for more information.
