Do you know about pediatric Tourette’s syndrome?

  I. Overview Pediatric Tourette’s syndrome is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder, also known as polydipsia. It is a tic disorder characterized by involuntary, sudden, multiple twitches and twitches accompanied by violent vocalizations and obscenities. It is more common in males, and most patients start between the ages of 4 and 12 years. Patients often have multiple co-morbidities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and behavioral problems.  The etiology of this disease has not been elucidated, but recent studies suggest that it may be the result of the interaction of genetic factors, neurophysiology, biochemical metabolism and environmental factors during development.  Clinical manifestations The tic and obscene syndrome is characterized by involuntary, sudden, rapid and repetitive muscle twitching, which is often accompanied by violent, involuntary vocalizations and obscenities. Twitching symptoms begin in the face and neck and gradually spread downward. The twitching may take various forms, such as blinking, squinting, pouting, shaking the head, shrugging, neck contraction, arm extension, arm flinging, chest lifting, bending, and trunk rotation.  Vocal twitches may be characterized by guttural sounds and roars, which may gradually change to stereotyped curses and obscene statements. Some children with involuntary twitching gradually develop speech motor disorders, and some children may also develop imitation of language, imitation of actions, imitation of expressions and other behaviors. Involuntary laryngeal tics appear late in children, with a few appearing early and most appearing 6 to 7 years after the onset of the disease. The condition of the child is often fluctuating, sometimes mild and sometimes severe, and sometimes may resolve on its own for a period of time.  The site, frequency and intensity of twitching can change. It may worsen when the child is stressed, anxious, tired, or sleep deprived; it may decrease when the child is relaxed and disappear after sleep. The child’s intelligence is generally normal, but some children may have psychological problems such as inattention, learning difficulties, and emotional disorders.  IV. Examination General laboratory test results are not special. EEG and brain imaging such as brain CT, MRI, etc. should be done to understand and exclude brain lesions.  The diagnosis can be made based on the medical history and clinical symptoms, but chorea, hepatomegaly, epileptic myoclonic seizures, drug-derived involuntary movements and other extravertebral lesions should be excluded.  The main drugs that help the child’s recovery are haloperidol, thiopiridol, and thiopental. Such as haloperidol, thiopride, colistin patch, inosine, vitamins, etc.  2. Psychotherapy: The adverse effects of the disease on personality are very common, and some of them cannot adapt to society even after the tics are controlled. Therefore, we should emphasize the treatment of the cause and symptom while paying attention to the psychological treatment. Psychotherapy includes behavioral therapy, supportive counseling, family therapy, etc. Parents and teachers should be helped to understand the nature and characteristics of the disease and to relieve or eliminate parents’ worries and anxiety. Reasonably arrange the daily routine and activities of the child to avoid excessive stress and fatigue. For children with vocal twitching, closed mouth and slow rhythmic deep abdominal breathing can be performed to reduce twitching symptoms.