NJCTS: Tourette Syndrome Joins Autism as Silent Epidemic

[mzmolly]

New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome is working on solutions by offering the world's first TS Sharing Repository.

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 15, 2008 – A recent study published shows the incidence of Tourette Syndrome is on the rise. The study appearing in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found “not only marked increases in autism as expected, but also in hyperactivity and Tourette Syndrome.”

“This study highlights not only the alarming widespread rise of Tourette and neuropsychiatric disorders in children as a whole, but the growing need for support and services for the children and families affected by these disorders,” said New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome Executive Director Faith Rice.

The study, conducted by Denmark’s University of Aarhus, tracked over 650,000 children over a ten year period. Researchers found marked increases in diagnoses of Tourette’s as well as autism and hyperkinetic disorder. The report did not identify what had caused the increases.

While autism has gleaned a great deal of media attention of late, with studies showing a clear rise in its incidence, Tourette Syndrome is silently gaining ground as well. In fact, Tourette is much more widespread than people realize—affecting as many as 1 in 200 children or 28,000 kids in New Jersey alone. Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal (phonic) sounds called tics.

More HERE

[Poll_Blind]

1. FUCK!

PB

[mzmolly]

2. Few people with TS have swearing tics.

Just an FYI. :hi:

Some people simply blink, sniff, clear their throat often etc. The condition is not always noticeable. Many people don't even know they have it.

[The Animator]

3. This is true... the swearing is very rare, but it naturally gets the most attention

I'm all for TS awareness, it sure as hell would have made my childhood a lot easier. It irritates the hell out of me, however, to see it misrepresented in pop culture. In the various TV shows and movies I've seen that mentions it, it's a punchline, nothing more. It was bad enough growing up in a world where nobody knew what it was, and now half the world thinks they know, but has it wrong.

[mzmolly]

4. Are you familiar with Brad Cohen?

I just read his life story is being made into a movie?

http://www.tsa-usa.org/news/0908BradCohenMovie.html

I too feel that greater understanding is important and I hope that we, as a society are on our way. I'm sorry that you were misunderstood. I hope things have improved in that regard for you?

:hi:

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Too bad Patricia Heaton is in it. She is a repuke, anti-choice twit.

[mzmolly]

7. Agreed.

Blech!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

9. South Park presented it pretty fairly but they had to focus on the swearing.

It is South Park after all.

David

[LeftishBrit]

6. I suspect that a lot of cases of Tourettes were not diagnosed in the past -

and mild cases were often thought of as 'nervous habits' or 'fidgeting' etc; and severe cases as 'insanity'.

It is a good thing that the problem is increasingly recognized.

[mzmolly]

8. How very

true. :hi: