What Is Tourette's Syndrome?

QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

Hi.  My question is: What is Tourette's?  What causes its syndrome?

Thanks.

ANSWER:

Many people get "twitches" of certain muscles, especially under stress.  Eyelid twitching is a common one.

Twitching of body parts is referred to as "motor tics".

Noises such as unintelligible sounds or even profanity are called "vocal tics".

Those with Tourette's syndrome have both motor and vocal tics.  It appears to be a neurological phenomenon within the brain, but can be worsened by stress.  Medications that can increase anxiety such as the SSRI's (Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa) or psychostimulants (Adderall, Dexedrine, Ritalin) can worsen the tics.

No one knows exactly why they happen.