Tourette SyndromeSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Tourette Syndrome
View Main Condition: Movement Disorders
Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make repeated, quick movements or sounds that they cannot control.
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome; Tic disorders - Tourette syndrome; Tourette's syndrome
Tourette syndrome is named for Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described this disorder in 1885. The disorder is likely passed down through families.
The syndrome may be linked to problems in certain areas of the brain. It may have to do with chemical substances (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) that help nerve cells signal one another.
Tourette syndrome can be either severe or mild. Many people with very mild tics may not be aware of them and never seek medical help. Far fewer people have more severe forms of Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome is 3 times as likely to occur in boys as in girls. There is a 50% chance that a person with Tourette syndrome will pass the gene onto his or her children, although the children may have no or fewer symptoms.
Symptoms of Tourette syndrome are often first noticed during childhood, at about 6 years of age. Most children with Tourette syndrome also have other medical problems. These can include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), impulse control disorder, or depression.
The most common first symptom is a tic of the face. Other tics may follow. A tic is a sudden, fast, repeated movement or sound.
Symptoms of Tourette syndrome can range from tiny, minor movements (such as grunts, sniffling, or coughing) to constant movements and sounds that cannot be controlled.
Different types of tics can include:
- Arm thrusting
- Eye blinking
- Jumping
- Kicking
- Repeated throat clearing or sniffing
- Shoulder shrugging
Tics may occur many times a day. They tend to improve or get worse at different times. The tics may change with time. Symptoms often get worse before the mid-teen years.
Contrary to popular belief, only a small number of people use curse words or other inappropriate words or phrases (coprolalia).
Tourette syndrome is different from OCD. People with OCD feel as though they have to do the behaviors. Sometimes a person can have both Tourette syndrome and OCD.
Many people with Tourette syndrome can stop doing the tic for periods of time. But they find that the tic is stronger for a few minutes after they allow it to start again. Often, the tic slows or stops during sleep.
People who have mild symptoms are not treated. This is because the side effects of the medicines may be worse than the symptoms of Tourette syndrome.
A type of talk therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy) called habit-reversal may help to suppress tics.
Different medicines are available to treat Tourette syndrome. The exact medicine that is used depends on the symptoms and any other medical problems.
Ask your provider if deep brain stimulation is an option for you. It is being evaluated for the main symptoms of Tourette syndrome and the obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The treatment is not recommended when these symptoms and behaviors occur in the same person.
Kennedy Krieger Associates
Marco Grados is a Psychiatrist and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Grados is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tourette Syndrome. His top areas of expertise are Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Anorexia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Brigham And Women's Hospital, Neurosciences Center
Jeremiah Scharf is a Neurologist in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Scharf is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tourette Syndrome. His top areas of expertise are Tourette Syndrome, Movement Disorders, Transient Tic Disorder, Drug Induced Dyskinesia, and Deep Brain Stimulation.
Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute
Dr. Matthew State is a psychiatrist who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as human genetics. He is chair of the psychiatry department, president of the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute and a member of the Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Over the past 15 years, State's laboratory has played a leading role in elucidating how rare and de novo (new) genetic mutations can contribute to autism spectrum and Tourette disorders. State earned his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in psychiatry and a fellowship in child psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. He then earned his doctoral degree in genetics at Yale University. State has received numerous honors, including the Tarjan Award from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruane Prize from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health from the National Academy of Medicine. He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine in 2013. He is the Oberndorf Family Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF. Dr. State is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tourette Syndrome. His top areas of expertise are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, Movement Disorders, and Transient Tic Disorder.
More information and support for people with Tourette syndrome and their families can be found at:
- Tourette Association of America -- tourette.org/online-support-groups-tourette-syndrome/
Symptoms are often worst during the teenage years and then improve in early adulthood. In some people, symptoms go away entirely for a few years and then return. In a few people, symptoms do not return at all.
Conditions that may occur in people who have Tourette syndrome include:
- Anger control issues
- ADHD
- Impulsive behavior
- OCD
- Poor social skills
These conditions need to be diagnosed and treated.
Make an appointment with your provider if you or child has tics that are severe or persistent, or if they interfere with daily life.
There is no known prevention.
Introduction: Repetitive behaviors (RB) constitute a broad range of symptoms across different psychiatric/neurologic disorders. The most famous are stereotypies (found in autism), compulsions (found in obsessive-compulsive-disorder, OCD) and tics (found in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS). For some patients, it is sometime difficult to distinguish the nature of the repetitive behaviors presented, however th...
Summary: The unhide® Project is a non-interventional, longitudinal research study designed to establish a secure data repository of demographic, health, and lifestyle information from individuals with brain inflammation and related neuroinflammatory conditions. Participants in the United States aged 2 years and older will provide self-reported health data, biometrics, and symptom diaries through the MyData...
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Kim JW, Walter HJ, DeMaso DR. Motor disorders and habits. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 37.
Martinez-Ramirez D, Jimenez-Shahed J, Leckman JF, et al. Efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation in Tourette syndrome: The International Tourette Syndrome Deep Brain Stimulation Public Database and Registry. JAMA Neurol. 2018;75(3):353-359. PMID: 29340590 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29340590/.