Tourette's syndrome is also known as Tourette’s disorder or Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, named after the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885. Tourette's syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of multiple or motor tics and vocal or phonic tics. Some, and possible most tics are preceded by an urge or sensation that seems to be relieved by the execution of the tic. The age of onset for Tourette's syndrome is 7 and most cases have an onset age before age 14 and it frequently persists into adulthood.

Tourette's syndrome was once considered to be a rare and bizarre disorder, mostly associated with the uttering of obscenities or socially derogator remarks known as coprolalia. Today, approximately 1 and 10 children per 1000 have Tourette’s and as many as 10 per 1000 have tic disorders. The most common tics are of eye blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing and facial movements. Individuals with this disorder have normal life expectancy and intelligence.

Symptoms of Tourette's syndrome:

Tics: A tic is a constant, alternating muscle twitch or spasm, usually limited to a classified muscle group. The term is used to include various movements such as the blinking the eye, twitching the mouth, licking the lips, shrugging the shoulders, twisting the neck, clearing the throat, blowing the nose and grimacing.

Coprolalia: This is the utterance of obscene or socially objectionable remarks or words and is considered to be the most revealed symptom of Tourette's syndrome. But research shows that fewer than 15 percent of Tourette’s patients exhibit coprolalia.

Other movement disorders: These include choreas, dystonias, myoclonus and dyskinesia. The tics of Tourette's syndrome are stereotypic, temporarily suppressible, nonrhythmic and often proceeded by a premonitory urge. Tics are thus often difficult to differentiate from compulsions and are sometimes referred to as compulsive tics.

There are many types of tics and many of these appear to be associated with the presence of other psychological disorders, particularly obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Most tics, however, do not have an organic basis but usually stem from psychological causes such as self consciousness or tension in severity of behavioral problems.