Tourette Syndrome Singapore

Taken from asiaonehealth:

Tourette Syndrome is named after the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885.

Doctors still do not know what exactly causes the condition but they do know that 10 to 15 per cent of patients may have a family history of Tourette Syndrome.

There are no figures for the number of Tourette Syndrome patients in Singapore.

Dr Au Wing Lok, consultant neurologist at the National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, said that recent evidence suggests a neurochemical basis for the disorder.

In particular, the neurotransmission in the areas involved in motor, emotional and behavioural control are affected.

The main symptoms are motor tics, which are sudden, apparently uncontrollable movements, and vocal tics, which are involuntary vocalisations.

Examples of tics include exaggerated blinking of the eyes, touching a body part or person repeatedly, throat clearing,repeating others’ words or involuntary cursing.

When the patient is under duress, the tics may become more severe or frequent or may change entirely.

There is no cure for Tourette Syndrome but symptoms may be controlled through medication.

Dr Au added that the support of families and friends of Tourette Syndrome patients helps them to cope with the disorder better.

Tourette Syndrome is named after the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885.

Doctors still do not know what exactly causes the condition but they do know that 10 to 15 per cent of patients may have a family history of Tourette Syndrome.

There are no figures for the number of Tourette Syndrome patients in Singapore.

Dr Au Wing Lok, consultant neurologist at the National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, said that recent evidence suggests a neurochemical basis for the disorder.

In particular, the neurotransmission in the areas involved in motor, emotional and behavioural control are affected.

The main symptoms are motor tics, which are sudden, apparently uncontrollable movements, and vocal tics, which are involuntary vocalisations.

Examples of tics include exaggerated blinking of the eyes, touching a body part or person repeatedly, throat clearing,repeating others’ words or involuntary cursing.

When the patient is under duress, the tics may become more severe or frequent or may change entirely.

There is no cure for Tourette Syndrome but symptoms may be controlled through medication.

Dr Au added that the support of families and friends of Tourette Syndrome patients helps them to cope with the disorder better.

For more information on Tourette Syndrome, log on to The Singapore TS Care Group’s website at http://sg. geocities.com/ticscare/

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on September 04, 2008.