tourette's disorder : a single case study

tics are involuntary, sudden rapid, recurrent, non-rhytmic, and stereotyped motor movements or vocalizations. tics may be transient or persistent. they often cause impairment in social, inter personal, educational, and vocational functions of people. tic disorders may be accompanied by distractibiliy, impulsivity, restlessness, and obsessive – compulsive symptoms. tourette's disorder is one of the four tic disorders and consists of multiple motor and one or more vocal tic(s). for the diagnosis of tourette's disorder, the onset must be before the age of 18 the symptoms must persist for a period of more than one year and during this period there must never be a symptom-free period of more than 3 consective months. this article, discusses the tic disorders, specifically tourett's disorder and descibes a female adolescent who had tourette's disorder and treated with pimozide.