What are tics? What is Tourette Syndrome?

A tic is an involuntary, brief, recurrent, and stereotyped motor movement or vocalisation. Simple tics include: blinking, cough, hum, head turn, sniffing. Complex tics: words/phrases, movements usually involve several different muscle groups and can have a pattern or longer duration. There are 3 main tic disorders: 1. Provisional Tic Disorder is when motor/vocal tics are present for less than 1 year; 2. Chronic Tic Disorder is when a person has tics for more than 1 year, and only has either motor OR vocal tics; Tourette Syndrome is diagnosed when a person has tics present for more than one year and experiences both motor AND vocal tics, and tics were present before the age of 18 years old. In some instances, adult onset tics may occur. Sometimes tic like behaviours may also be experienced that do meet these diagnostic criteria, and if onset is sudden or rapid and occurs after ongoing or acutely stressful periods in one’s life with no previous history of tics, might be referred to as functional tic like behaviours.

Tics are often (but not always!) preceded by a premonitory urge. This urge can be a physical sensation like a tingling or tensing, or a vague mental discomfort. Once the person involuntarily performs the tic, the urge generally stops. Sometimes a person might do the tic again in order to feel ‘just right’.

Do tics change?

Tics can change over time from one type of simple tic to another, or a more complex type of tic. Some tics are slow and sustained rather than rapid.

Tics are known to be highly suggestible - when talking about tics a person may experience an increase in tic frequency and/or intensity. Tics also vary depending on whether someone is stressed, excited, tired, or bored. There are often periods of time when no tics occur - this is part of the natural course of tics.

Tics are predictably unpredictable!