MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- Tic disorders such as Tourette syndrome are far more common in children than previously thought, especially in kids in special education classes, says a new study.
The researchers suggest that because tics may be a sign of neuro-developmental problems that could lead to academic difficulties for some children, early recognition is crucial.
The report appears in the Oct. 23 issue of Neurology.
Tics are involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds, such a throat clearing, shrugging or eye blinking. Tourette syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurological disorder that affects at least 100,000 Americans. TS is three to four times more common in men than in women.
TS was not suspected as widely involved in childhood school problems "because it was always considered to be a very rare disorder," says lead investigator Dr. Roger Kurlan, professor of neurology at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. "But over the last several years, it's become clearer that it's actually quite a common condition."
Between November 1994 and March 1998, the researchers interviewed 1,596 schoolchildren, ages 8.5 to 17.5, along with their parents and teachers in the Rochester area of Monroe County, N.Y. During the interviews, specially trained technicians observed the children, 341 of whom were from special education classes, for signs of tic disorders.
Children in the special education classes had learning disabilities, speech impairments and emotional problems.
The technicians observed tics in 27 percent of the special education students, compared with 19.7 percent of regular education children. Until recently, Kurlan says tic disorders were thought to affect only five to 10 children per 10,000.
Kurlan says Tourette syndrome may be linked to an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is connected to other brain regions involved in emotion and attention. When that system is disrupted, Kurlan says it can trigger tics, attention or learning problems.
"Kids who have tics have subtle abnormalities in brain development which makes it more difficult for them to be successful in school," he says.
Dr. Christopher Varley, associate professor of child psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and a specialist in tic disorders, says a growing body of evidence suggests that tics are relatively common.
"As many as 10 to 15 percent of children, by the time they're 15 or 18, will have had at least a transient experience in their life of some form of tic. It's really quite common," says Varley.
"Probably kids who are in special education situations are more vulnerable to this because, for example, Tourette disorder is associated quite commonly with hyperactivity and with learning problems, and not just because of the tics, but because of a common, underlying neuro-developmental condition," says Varley.
The researchers say the numbers may be higher among the special education students because their parents were likelier to agree to participate.
What To Do
Kurlan says that teachers and parents can play an important role in recognizing tics in children. "Potentially, some early interventions may be useful, but at least more careful monitoring would make sense."
You can find out more about tic disorders and Tourette syndrome from MentalHealthNet, the Tourette Syndrome Association, or the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
