Tourette syndrome is a relatively rare disease that is accompanied by damage to the central nervous system. It is worth noting that this is a genetic disease, the causes of which are still unknown.
What is Tourette Syndrome?
This disease was first described not so long ago. The fact is that the main symptoms of the disease are tics, not only muscular, but also vocal. Sick people often simply cannot control their movements and speech. That is why for many years the signs of the disease were considered nothing more than “possession by evil spirits.”
It was not until 1825 that an article was published describing the condition of a seven-year-old boy. His unknown illness was accompanied by muscle tics and speech disorders. Since then, active research on this disease has begun. In 1885, Gilles de la Tourret took up the study of this problem, in whose honor the syndrome was named. It was he who singled out the main symptoms of the disease and made some assumptions about its causes.
Unfortunately, the exact causes of the disease are not yet clear. Scientists are sure only that this is a genetic disease that is activated by malfunctions insynthesis and metabolism of dopamine.
Tourette's disease: main symptoms
As already mentioned, this disease is accompanied by vocal and motor tics. Muscle tics can be either simple or complex. Simple, as a rule, are associated with uncontrolled contraction of one muscle group. This can be, for example, frequent blinking, twitching of the shoulders and hands, grimaces on the face, pulling the lips into a tube, finger movements, contraction of the abdominal muscles, etc.
Complex tics can be represented, for example, by bouncing. Sometimes the patient may touch some objects, nearby people or his own body. By the way, this symptom can be dangerous to he alth, as the patient can bite his lips until it bleeds or hit his head against the wall.
As for simple vocal tics, these are mostly some extra sounds - during speech, a person can whistle, mumble, cough, etc. In more complex cases, vocal disturbances are represented by whole words or even sentences that are completely inappropriate during a conversation. Unfortunately, the patient has little to no control over the tic.
Tourette syndrome: diagnosis and treatment
As a rule, the disease is diagnosed at an early age - the child is not yet able to restrain attacks by willpower. If there is any suspicion, you should immediately contact a neurologist. The physician should also assess the stage of the disease by analyzing the frequency andduration of ticks, mental state, ability to adapt in society, as well as a tendency to learn and assimilate information.
Tourette Syndrome is a dangerous disease. Here it is important to contact a specialist in time. In the early stages, drug treatment is not required - only regular sessions with a psychotherapist are needed. In more severe cases, patients are prescribed medications that relieve muscle spasms and stop convulsions. With a long absence of treatment, the development of depressive conditions is observed - in this case, the patient needs special help.
Today, a method of surgical treatment is being actively developed. During the operation, a special chip is placed in the patient's brain. Unfortunately, none of the experimental procedures have yet provided long-term results.
As a rule, Tourette's syndrome, if properly treated, does not affect the mental development and longevity of the patient.
