Recognizing Tourette’s Syndrome in Children

  Tic disorder, also known as Tourette’s syndrome, is a syndrome or behavioral disorder characterized by movement, speech and tics. It is known clinically as “tic disorder” and begins in children and adolescents, with a higher incidence in males. It is characterized by involuntary, repetitive, rapid motor and vocal twitches in one or more muscles, and may be accompanied by inattention, hyperactivity, obsessive-compulsive thinking, and other behavioral symptoms.  The two main types of tic disorders are motor tics and vocal tics. However, depending on the duration and type of tics, they can be divided into transient tic disorder, chronic tic disorder, and Tourette’s syndrome.  Due to the variety of manifestations of the disease, there are cases of misdiagnosis as conjunctivitis and pharyngitis, and children with vocal tics are admitted to pediatric neurology as hysteria.  The latest advances in the treatment of tic disorders include pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, biological therapy and psychotherapy.  At present, it is believed that children with tic disorders with mild symptoms and a short duration of illness have the possibility of remission on their own and generally do not need treatment to observe changes. If the symptoms are serious and the duration of the disease is long, medication can be used under the guidance of a physician, Chinese medicine according to the condition of the dialectical treatment of younger or less heavy symptoms can take Chinese medicine, older or heavier symptoms of a long history of Chinese herbal medicine, with physical and biological therapy can receive good results, and rarely relapse after discontinuation of the drug. The dose is 0.5-1 mg twice a day at the beginning, and the dose is adjusted according to the effect of taking the drug, and the occurrence of extrapyramidal reactions can be reduced by using Antan. However, it is very easy to relapse after stopping the medication. Considering the side effects and recurrence of western medicine, it is rarely used in clinical practice.  2.Physical therapy mainly focuses on brain neurotransmitter function regulation and targeted behavior training, after a course of treatment, basically have good symptom control.  3, biological therapy based on the human body self-regulation theory to stimulate the body’s self-regulation and repair function, clinically proven satisfactory results.  4.Psychotherapy and behavioral interventions are also important for children with tic disorder.  It is important to correctly understand tic disorder and avoid various factors that aggravate the symptoms. By reducing psychological stress and relieving various factors that cause psychological tension, the child should be taught to correctly deal with the problems encountered. It is important to encourage the child to build confidence in overcoming the disorder. At home, it is not necessary to pay excessive attention to the child, let alone criticize and blame. Although some children’s symptoms can be reduced or disappeared in a short period of time after criticism, but afterwards the phenomenon of “rebound” will occur and make the symptoms more serious.  Tic disorder is a chronic developmental-behavioral disorder that generally has a good prognosis. If left untreated, the disorder may persist into adulthood or throughout life. Due to the abnormal behavior and personality of the child, the child has fewer opportunities to interact with the environment and practice, resulting in psychological problems and social withdrawal, which seriously affects the child’s growth.