Treatment of Tourette syndrome
There is no cure for Tourette's and no medication which works universally for all individuals without significant adverse effects; knowledge and understanding are the best treatments available for tics. Management of the symptoms of Tourette's may include pharmacological, behavioral and psychological therapies. While pharmacological treatment is reserved for more severe symptoms, other types of treatments may help avoid or improve symptoms of depression or social isolation, and improve supportive family functioning. Educating the patient, family, and surrounding community (school, church, friends, etc.) is a key part of treatment.
Causes and origins of Tourette syndrome
Genetic studies, including twin studies, have proven that the overwhelming majority of cases of Tourette syndrome are inherited, although the exact mode of inheritance is not yet known. Tic disorders have long been thought to be inherited as an autosomal dominant gene, but recent research challenges the autosomal dominant hypothesis, and suggests an additive model involving multiple genes. According to Roger Freeman, MD, "Genes that cause tics have not yet been identified; it's very unlikely there's just one. Tics are very familial, but not in a Mendelian pattern (dominant, recessive, etc.). You can't 'inherit' the committee decision to define a problem in a specific way, so TS itself can't be inherited. It's a tic disorder that is inherited."