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Central nervous system
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Chronic motor tic disorder

Definition:

Tics are repeated, uncontrollable bursts of activity or speech. Chronic motor tic disorder is characterized by rapid, recurrent, uncontrollable movements OR by vocal outbursts (but not both).

To be diagnosed with the disorder:

  • The person has had the tics nearly every day for more than a year
  • The person hasn't had a tic-free period longer than three months


Alternative Names:
Chronic vocal tic disorder; tic - chronic motor tic disorder

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder is more common than the better-known Tourette's Syndrome. About 1 to 2% of the population is affected. This condition is rare, however, compared to the common short-lived childhood tic (transient tic disorder), which occurs and then stops without treatment within a year.

Tics appear to get worse during emotional stress and are absent during sleep. It is thought that all types of chronic tics are variants of Tourette's Syndrome and have an underlying genetic cause. The gene or genes involved have not been discovered yet.



Review Date: 5/17/2002
Reviewed By: Alberto Espay, M.D., Department of Neurology, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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