Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary and repetitive movements and utterances. These may consist of jerking the head, shrugging shoulders, blinking eyes, uttering sounds or explosive vocal outbursts.

Named after George Gilles de la Tourette, the French neurologist who first described the condition, TS may also be referred to as Tourette disease or Tourette disorder. The condition typically becomes apparent in childhood and adolescence. Parents may notice frequently occurring facial tics (e.g., rapid eye blinking, nose twitching or grimacing) in a child. Over time, patients may exhibit more complex motor movements and vocalized tics.

No blood or laboratory tests can diagnose TS. Since some people have minor tics that may come and go, TS is diagnosed only after an individual has experienced motor and vocal tics that recur for at least one year.

Affected individuals report feeling sensations prior to having a tic (called premonitory urges). Some people report the ability to suppress a tic when they feel that one is imminent. However, this suppression does not last indefinitely and the involuntary movement eventually occurs, sometimes more explosively.

An estimated 1 to 2 percent of American children and adults have TS. However, the actual number of people with the condition may be higher because many individuals have minor tics that go undiagnosed. Other risk factors for TS include gender (males are more likely than females to have the condition) and heredity.

There is no cure for TS, which can go into remission or vary in severity or frequency over time. Many children outgrow the condition by as early as age 18, although they may experience periodic recurrences later in life. Minor tics often require no treatment at all. People with more complex TS symptoms may be able to reduce the severity or frequency of their tics by taking medications and employing stress management and coping techniques.