2025 Annual Report

PATIENT CARE, QUALITY & SAFETY

TOURETTE SYNDROME: UNDERSTANDING

SYMPTOMS AND NAVIGATING CARE FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD

Diagnostic Criteria for Tourette Syndrome 1 The onset of tics must occur during childhood. 2 There must be at least two motor tics. 3 There must be at least one vocal tic. 4 The tics must be present for more than a year — though not necessarily continuously.

Tourette syndrome often begins in childhood. But for many patients, its challenges and care needs continue into adulthood. From early recognition and behavioral interventions to managing transitions and overcoming adult treatment barriers, TS demands a comprehensive, lifespan approach. Neurologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine are targeting and addressing these needs through a collaborative model that supports patients from childhood through adulthood. TS symptoms typically begin between the ages of 4 and 7. These symptoms present in the form of tics, or sudden, rapid, repetitive, nonrhythmic movements or sounds that a person makes involuntarily. These often start subtly, such as blinking, eye rolling, sniffing, coughing or throat clearing. “It is not unusual for a child to have seen an eye doctor or a pulmonologist before neurology is even considered,” said Emily Gantz, D.O., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Pediatric Neurology . DIAGNOSIS AND PARENTAL CONCERNS

“Parents may believe TS is caused by a concussion, an infection or a medication; however, TS is a genetic condition.”

EMILY GANTZ, D.O.

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CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA | UAB MEDICINE