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- $Unique_ID{BRK01300}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Information About Tourette Syndrome}
- $Subject{tics tourette stress ill defined symptoms rare diseases mental
- emotional conditions syndrome facial attention deficit disorders psychiatric
- anxiety depression symptom disease condition syndromes tic stresses disorder
- anxieties depressed }
- $Volume{N-23, E-23}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Information About Tourette Syndrome
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- QUESTION: Our young daughter, age 11, has been suffering with facial tics for
- some time now, and was just diagnosed as having Tourette syndrome. Can you
- provide me with some information and help about this?
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- ANSWER: Tourette syndrome has left the medical world baffled. Usually
- occurring between the ages of 2 to 15, and mimicking the symptoms of attention
- deficit disorders common to this age group, it has been difficult to diagnose
- and treat. The major criteria for a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, aside
- from age of onset, are the presence of recurring, repetitive, involuntary, and
- purposeless movements, the presence of vocal tics, the ability of the patient
- to suppress the movements for minutes or hours at a time, variations in the
- intensity of the symptoms, and the occurrence of symptoms for at least one
- year.
- Other signs might be present, and all symptoms seem to worsen with
- stress. Psychiatric disorders, for instance compulsive disorder, can be
- confused with Tourette syndrome, and, as a matter of fact, the drug used to
- treat this disorder is also used in psychiatric disorders. The disorder
- crosses all class and economic groups and appears equally in all
- nationalities. There is some evidence that the disease might be hereditary,
- but these findings are not conclusive. Usually anxiety and depression are
- present in the kids who have it, and they need all the support they can get
- from physicians, parents, and teachers. The Tourette Syndrome Association is
- a valuable source of research, support, and up to date information about this
- perplexing disorder. You may contact them by writing to Tourette Syndrome
- Association, 42-40 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, New York 11361 or calling (718)
- 224-2999.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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