Time line for Motor tics

[momX4]

Do the tics have to be present constantly for one year before TS is diagnosed, I mean can they have a long break in between tics. My son went over 6 months with his motor tic gone and now it's back. What is the guide line?. By the way he is 7 years old, in good health, growing nicely, has an identical twin brother.

 

Thanks for all of your help :-)

Melody

 

ps. I forgot to add that he doesn't have a vocal tic his is just a motor tic that involves his neck and head, he does this jerky motion with his neck.

[lmcgill]

He definately does not have TS. Sounds like my son. He is 7 and has a twin (sister) too! He started with the eye blinking then went on to the shoulder and head jerks as well as some abdominal movements. He started it back in March 06, the eye blinking stopped but the shoulder jerks came on. It went a way for most of the summer but came back bad in the fall. As of this week he has nothing again. We wish we knew what the triggers are. We took him totally off TV for a week as well as put him on Calcium and Mag as well as a supplement called "Attentive Child" by Source Naturals. Now he is watching some TV and playing his new Nintendo WII, but in very limited amounts. Please let me know how your son is doing.

[Laurensmom]

Do the tics have to be present constantly for one year before TS is diagnosed, I mean can they have a long break in between tics. My son went over 6 months with his motor tic gone and now it's back. What is the guide line?. By the way he is 7 years old, in good health, growing nicely, has an identical twin brother.

 

Thanks for all of your help :-)

Melody

 

ps. I forgot to add that he doesn't have a vocal tic his is just a motor tic that involves his neck and head, he does this jerky motion with his neck.

 

The tics can have long breaks. However multiple motor and at least one vocal tic are required for dx.

 

Diagnostic Criteria for 307.23 Tourette's Disorder;

 

• both multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics must be present at the same time, although not necessarily concurrently;

 

• the tics must occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently over more than 1 year, during which time there must not have been a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months;

 

• the age at onset must be less than 18 years;

• the disturbance must not be due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g. stimulants) or a general medical condition (e.g. Huntington's disease or postviral encephalitis).

 

http://www.tourettes-disorder.com/dsm.html

 

Tics are common in children, however they can be considered a "marker" for other neurological issues.

 

Best wishes.