
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 10, 1990                   TAG: 9004100047
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURETTE

Tourette syndrome is a physicial disorder often mistaken for a psychological disturbance. The disorder is characterized by tics - involuntary, rapid, sudden movements that occur repeatedly in the same way.

Some essential characteristics of Tourette syndrome are:

Onset before age 21, usually between 2 and 16. The average age is 7 years.

Multiple motor and one or more vocal tics occur at some time during the illness, although not necessarily together. The tics must occur throughout the span of a year.

Typical involuntary muscle movements include fast blinking, head jerking, facial grimaces, knee jerks or shoulder shrugs.

Typical uncontrollable noises include grunting, sniffing, throat clearing, snorting, barking and tongue clicking. Some victims repeat words or sounds. Involuntary profanity may be present in about 30 percent of patients.

Symptoms vary over time and may change and replace one another. They vary in frequency and severity and often worsen with stress.

Some victims have difficulty concentrating on school work. Some exhibit ritualistic behavior patterns, such as repeatedly checking to see if a door is locked, or have obsessive thoughts, such as preoccupation with dirt or disease.

by CNB