What is Tourette syndrome?

Abstract TS begins in early life, usually between 5 and 7 years of age and consists of many tics. The syndrome includes motor tics or twitches and vocal tics or noises, which must have been present for a year although not necessarily together. These tics can be simple or complex. Vocal tics are often called phonic tics, as many of the noises made by patients with TS do not use the vocal cords. Common motor tics are blinking, head nodding, face grimacing, and nose twitching, and common phonic tics are sniffing, throat clearing, and coughing. The swearing tic (coprolalia) receives a lot of media attention but in fact only occurs in only 10–15 per cent of individuals with TS. In addition, there are differences between ‘socially accepted swearing’ and the swearing tic, which is involuntary, is often disguised by the individual, and causes embarrassment to the individual with TS.