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Summary

If you have Tourette syndrome, you make unusual movements or sounds, called tics. You have little or no control over them. Common tics are throat-clearing and blinking. You may repeat words, spin, or, rarely, blurt out swear words.

Tourette syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system. It often occurs with other problems, such as:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Anxiety
• Depression

The cause of Tourette syndrome is unknown. It is more common in boys than girls. The tics usually start in childhood and may be worst in the early teens. Many people eventually outgrow them.

No treatment is needed unless the tics interfere with everyday life. Excitement or worry can make tics worse. Calm, focused activities may make them better. Medicines and talk therapy may also help.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• About Tourette Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Tourette Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Diagnosis for Tic Disorders (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Treatments and Therapies

• Treatment of Tourette Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Living With

• 8 Ways to Deal with Ticcing in Public (Tourette Association of America) Also in Spanish
• Exercise, Sports and Tourette Syndrome (Tourette Association of America)

Related Issues

• Other Concerns and Conditions of Tourette Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Risk Factors for Tourette Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Stuttering and Tourette's Syndrome (Stuttering Foundation of America) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Tourette syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Data and Statistics on Tourette Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tourette Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Identification of immune traits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders by two-sample Mendelian...
• Article: Prevalence of Tourette syndrome among children and adolescents in the United...
• Tourette Syndrome -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Tics and Tourette Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Tourette Syndrome (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Tourette Syndrome: A Not-So-Frightening Diagnosis (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Teenagers

• Tourette Syndrome (Nemours Foundation)

Adults

• Later in Life (Tourette Association of America)

Patient Handouts

• Tourette syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish