Encounter: Tourettes Syndrome

During spring break, I dedicated a day to where I was able to relax and do absolutely nothing. As I was enjoying my day off at home, I began scrolling on tic tok for a while and I encountered a video of this girl, approximately my age, if not younger, with Tourettes Syndrome. I began watching her videos and saw that she had previously been on Dr. Phil to speak about her struggles and her life as a girl with Tourettes. I immediately decided to further investigate and learn more about this syndrome. As I looked into this syndrome, I learned that Tourette is a neurological disorder that is often accompanied by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The exact cause of Tourette's syndrome is not entirely clear, but studies suggest that it could be due to abnormalities in specific areas of the brain, such as the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cortex. Researchers have found that at the cellular level, Tourette's syndrome is associated with the dysregulation of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which regulate both movement and mood. This dysregulation was found to be due to abnormalities in the receptors that bind to these neurotransmitters, as well as modifications in the transporters that remove them from the synapse. Some researchers found that individuals with Tourette's syndrome have reduced density of particular types of neurons in the basal ganglia, as well as changes in the activity of ion channels that control the movement of ions in and out of neurons. Additionally, some people with the condition have higher levels of antibodies against specific brain proteins, suggesting that there could be an immunological aspect to this syndrome. Researchers have also suggested that the immune system may be targeting and causing damage to particular brain cells, which could be what is leading to the development of the disorder.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).