What are the signs and symptoms of Tourette syndrome?
The hallmark sign of Tourette syndrome are tics, which can range from very mild to severe. Some severe tics can be extremely debilitating. A facial tic, such as eye blinking, may be the first sign. However, people may experience so many potential tics that there is not really a typical case (each person is different). There are two types of tics: • Physical tics (motor tics) – motor movements, such as blinking, jerking the head or any part of the body. • Phonic tics (vocal tics) – uttering sounds, such as grunts or squeaks, and words or phrases. There are two main classifications of ticks: • Simple ticks – this may involve moving just one muscle, or uttering a single sound. Movements are sudden, short lived, and often repetitive. • Complex ticks – the physical movements are more complex, and/or the phonic tics involve a more sophisticated set of utterances, including long phrases. Complex tics involve several muscle groups. In many cases, a person with Tourette’s will have a combinatio
