Back when I was in grade school, one of my classmates had Tourette Syndrome, a type of

neurological disorder.

People at school laughed and made fun of her.

But I'd like to think that if everyone knew more about her condition, they wouldn't

have treated her this way.

People with Tourette syndrome are already at a higher risk for depression and the bullying

they often face in school surely doesn't help.

So, to help make the world a more accepting and knowledgeable place, let's talk about

what Tourette Syndrome really is.

I brought my friend Mayim Bialik from YouTube and the TV show the big bang theory to help

explain!

MAYIM: Thanks Blocko!

The main manifestations of Tourette Syndrome are tics, which are uncontrollable and repetitive

movements, noises, and vocalizations.

Some can be painful, but most aren't.

Tics are separated into Simple Tics and Complex Tics.

The first are less obvious and only involve a few muscle groups.

They can show up as things like shoulder shrugging, head jerking, excessive sniffling, or lots

of blinking.

Vocal tics include grunting, repetitive clearing of the throat, and even barking.

When more muscle groups are involved or vocalizations are a bit more elaborate, that's when tics

are considered complex.

These can include a combination of movements like bending, flailing, jumping, and punching.

The uncontrollable use of swear words, derogatory phrases, and even racial slurs is another

type of complex tic, called coprolalia.

It only affects about 10-15% of people with Tourette's but it can be very stressful

and embarrassing for the person involved.

BLOCKO: It's known that the severity of these symptoms can be affected by one's

emotional state.

When people are calm and focused, symptoms are known to improve.

Tics are usually the worst during early teen years, but thankfully, most symptoms significantly

improve through late adolescence and some people grow out of them completely!

Tourette Syndrome is 3-4 times more likely to affect boys than girls and scientists are

beginning to realize that this condition is actually a whole lot more common than they

originally thought.

They now estimate that about one in every 160 kids have some variation of Tourette Syndrome.

It's known for a fact that people with Tourette's are at increased risk of developing depression

and substance abuse problems.[23] This could be due to the bullying, judgment, and alienation

they often experience, but various groups say that welcoming them with a supportive

environment can help them feel more comfortable.

MAYIM: The cause of Tourette's isn't yet known, but experts do know that genes play

a part.

It's thought that environmental and developmental factors do too.

Within the brain, there are a number of abnormalities that experts think could be connected to the

condition, but more research is needed to know for sure.

These abnormalities are seen in the frontal lobes, cortex, and basal ganglia, as well

as the circuits that connect them all and the neurotransmitters that help relay messages

between nerve cells.

BLOCKO: While there isn't a cure yet, a number of holistic and medicinal treatments

do exist.

Some people have found that exercising and singing has stopped their tics and something

called Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Tics has been proven to reduce symptoms by

teaching people how to control their tics when they feel an urge to move!

In very severe cases of Tourette Syndrome, medications can be prescribed or brain devices

implanted but these scenarios are rare.

MAYIM: We hope that since now you know more about this condition, you'll be more understanding

and accepting of people with Tourette Syndrome.

BLOCKO: If you have this condition, and feel comfortable with sharing, let us know how

tourette syndrome has affected you.

What do you want other people to know about it?