Research Paper On Tourette's Syndrome

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Pages: 6

Tourette’s Syndrome Psychopathology is the study of mental illnesses or the manifestations of behaviors that lead to mental illness. The discipline of psychopathology was introduced in 1913 by Karl Jaspers. There are many occupations that are encompassed within the study. The most popular include Psychiatrist, psychologist, and social workers. Psychiatrist are medical doctors, they’ve gone to medical school and because of their medical training, can prescribe medication. Psychologist on the other hand have a doctorate in an area of psychology.
When it comes to psychopathology, there are four principles that are followed when diagnosing mental disorders. They are known as the four D’s, and include, deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger.
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All of these disorders, including hundreds more, are described in detail within the DSM. The DSM, otherwise known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the American Psychiatric Association’s reference guide for diagnosing mental disorders, and more generally, the study of psychiatry. The DSM’s most current version is titled DSM-5. The DSM five now contains over 300 different mental disorders. It covers the complete spectrum of disorders, from Gender Dysphoria, to Bulimia. One of the less prominent mental disorders that it contains is Tourette Syndrome. Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The disorder originated from when Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette diagnosed an eighty-six year old noblewoman with the illness. “Tourette's disorder is diagnosed when the individual has multiple motor and vocal tics that have been present” (Jeste …show more content…
These would include ADHD medication, antisezure medications, and antidepressants. Effective medications are available to treat a few of the associated neurobehavioral disorders that may accompany patients with Tourette Syndrome. Some of these medications include Fluphenazine, Ritalin, Prozac, and Topamax. Outside of medications, Deep Brain Stimulation has been used to treat the tics that come with Tourette Syndrome. The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder discusses how, “The advancements in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for movement disorders such as Parkinson disease and dystonia coupled with the scattered historical reports of lesion therapies for TS have led to a growing interest in exploring the role of DBS for addressing the most severe medically and behaviorally resistant patients.” Even though this procedure does show promise for those severely affected by the disorder, only about ten percent of the patients that are diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome have the required severity of the illness to be eligible for Deep Brain Stimulation