Tourette’s syndrome (sometimes called Tourette’s disorder) is a childhood-onset condition characterized by motor and vocal tics that are chronic (duration of >1 year).
Diagnostic Criteria for Tourette’s Syndrome
- Both multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics have been present at some time during the illness, although not necessarily concurrently.
- The tics occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently throughout a period of more than 3 consecutive months.
- The onset is before 18 years of age.
- The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., stimulants) or a general medical condition (e.g., Huntington’s disease or postviral encephalitis).
References:
- Diagnostic and statistical manual of psychiatry. 4th ed. rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
- Kurlan R. Clinical practice. Tourette’s Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2010 Dec 9;363(24):2332-8.[Medline]
Created Jul 15, 2011.
