Tics are repetitive, purposeless twitches or jerks which are often preceded by an ill-defined urge to make the movement. Common motor tics include involuntary eye blinking, facial grimacing, and head shaking. Tics of the vocal system are common and include grunting, throat clearing, squeaking or other simple noises. More complex motor tics can be seen as can more complex vocalizations including in some cases involuntary profanity. Movements and vocalizations typically can be volitionally suppressed for short periods of time.

Tics usually begin in early childhood. There is a spectrum of tic disorders ranging from simple tics, often transient, which occur in childhood to full-blown GTS which includes a greater than one year history of motor tics and vocalizations often accompanied by behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive traits and behavior disorders.

The diagnosis of GTS is made by a thorough analysis of history and the observation of tics on examination. Often, a videotape taken at home or school will help the physician see the tics better than in person in the office.

There is a strong hereditary basis to GTS.  Often one parent has or had tics during childhood and the tics may be so mild as to be unappreciated by non-medical observers.  Some families have a history of obsessive compulsive disorder or attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity as well.  The brain appears structurally normal in GTS, and a chemical imbalance is hypothesized.

Many people with GTS do not require any specific therapy of tics, once the nature of the disorder is understood and communicated to teachers and others with whom the patient interacts.  For those who need some medical therapy, commonly used agents include haloperidol, pimozide, clonidine, and others. There are a number of new drugs under development as well. Some patients have found relaxation therapy and other non-pharmacological resources useful.

In most patients, tics are most prominent in childhood and young adolescence. Thereafter, tics tend to abate and be clinically insignificant for most patients. For this reason, most of our therapy is aimed at helping a child through the years of maximal tic involvement in order to assure the best educational and social development possible. Few adults need medication treatment; in those instances, however, treatment strategies are available at our center.

Our multidisciplinary team includes respected neurologists, neuropsychologists, specially trained nurses, and other staff. Our physicians are also researchers and are actively studying new approaches for diagnosing and treating tics. For information on current clinical trials, click on the link to your left.