Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disease that is associated with muscular or vocal tics. 1 More severe cases of this condition may be associated with self-abuse such as punching or slapping oneself or even the involuntary use of profanity (the action that many people associate with Tourette, but it is present in less than 5% of diagnosed Tourette Syndrome cases).
It has been reported that a significant percentage of Tourette cases will subside or even disappear in early adulthood. 2
Medical Management
Since the 1960s, the drug of choice in the management of Tourette Syndrome has been oral haloperidol (Haldol). More recently, there have been reports of controlled studies reporting success using clonidine or Baclofen.
Treatment of Conditions Associated with Tourette Syndrome
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are more commonly found in Tourette Syndrome than in the general population. Whether there are common factors involved in all 3 conditions is unknown at this time. Psychotherapy is the initial treatment of choice in ADD and OCD with medical management usually being reserved for those cases that do not respond to therapy. 3
Deep Brain Stimulation
Despite the occasional, but often sensational, reports concerning Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) as a treatment for the most severe manifestations of Tourette Syndrome, there have been too few cases to determine whether DBS may become an accepted treatment for this condition. 4, 5
“Alternative” and “Non-Traditional Therapy”
One thing that you can rely upon to hold true is that, regardless of the medical condition present, if a child is the victim of some medical condition there will be literally thousands of hucksters attempting to sell the parents some “alternative” or “miracle” treatment or even a “cure.” Enter “treatment of Tourette syndrome” into your favorite search engine and you will find that it returns no less than 160,000 ‘hits.”
I visited a number of these sites and was unable to locate a single reference to a report, in a reputable medical journal, which would support the claims made regarding such “miracle cures.” In fact, most did not even bother to answer my e-mail requesting some supporting documentation regarding their respective products. I would assume that they are not quite so hesitant in filling orders for their merchandise.
The plane and simple truth is that there are no miracle cures for Tourette Syndrome. Save your time and money for more conventional therapies.
For More Information
The Tourette Syndrome Fact Sheet provided by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke
Notes
1. A tic is an involuntary, repetitive contraction of a muscle group. A vocal tic is a repetitive, involuntary noise such as clearing the throat, “snorting”, or some other aphonal sound.
2. Bruun, RD and Budman CL (1997): The course and prognosis of Tourette syndrome. Neurol Clin 15(2): 291-8
3. Como, PG (1997): Tourette syndrome. Neuropsychological tests for obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neurol Clin 15(2): 255-65.
4. Houeto, JL; Karachi, C; Mallet, L; B Pillon, and Yelnik, J (2005) Tourette’s syndrome and deep brain stimulation, Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 76:992-995
5. Neimat, Joseph (2006) Novel Surgical Therapies for Tourette Syndrome, Journal of Child Neurology, 21:8, 715-718.
