There is disagreement regarding the causes of Tourette’s Syndrome. In recent years, it has been more widely accepted that both genetic and environment factors play a role with Tourette’s patients. Studies have shows that vast majority of people with the disorder inherited it from their parents. However, the exact cause of the disorder is unknown.
It is believed that Tourette’s results from dysfunction in the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. This causes circuit failures connecting the regions. The frontal cortex, thalamus, and basal ganglia are also involved. It is also thought that some types of obsessive-compulsive disorders are genetically linked to Tourette’s. However, a genetic relationship with other disorders has not been established.
Genetics definitely plays a role in Tourette’s. Statistics show that an individual with Tourette’s has about a fifty percent chance of passing it on to one of his or her children. However, not everyone who inherits the genetic predisposition will show symptoms of Tourette’s and very few children of people with the disorder require medical attention for the condition.
Tourette Syndrome is a disorder with variable expression. Some people have milder tic disorders that are transient. They may not be diagnosed with Tourette’s. Other individuals have more severe tics.
A person’s physical health, emotional health, or psychosocial factors can influence the severity of Tourette’s Syndrome. It has also been observed in some cases that autoimmune processes can affect the onset of tics and exacerbate them. Statistics show that males are also much more likely than females to suffer from the disorder.
Tourette’s Syndrome affects hundreds of thousands of Americans. Learn about the causes of Tourettes Syndrome and more at http://www.toureettesssyndrome.org.