(Fowler, 1996, p. 72). Family genetic studies strongly support an etiologic relationship with TS. Because Tourette results from imbalances of neurotransmitters and other chemicals in the brain, the primary approach to controlling symptoms continues to be the administration of drugs, which affect these neurochemicals (Bruun, 1984, p. 9). There are over seventy different chemicals in the brain, which may influence human behavior, but the number contributing to TS is still unclear. Serotinin is the neurotransmitter believed to be primarily responsible for censorship, or inhibition. Dopamine, another neurotransmitter, affects muscle movements, as well as behavior. An increase in dopamine levels can cause exaggerated behaviors, including aggression and increased sexual activity. A particularly important risk factor in tics and TS is the use of stimulant medication (1984, p. 9). Stimulants will increase the severity of tics in 25 to 50 percent of all TS patients (Kushner, 1999, p. 42). However, over the past several years, studies have shown that the use of stimulants has been correlated to the onset of motor and phonic tics (Bruun, 1984, p. 10).TS is now seen as a relatively common disorder affecting up to one person in every 2,500 in its complete form, and three times that number in its partial expressions that include chronic motor tics and some forms of OCD (Fowler, 1996, p. 74). TS is a genetic disorder; the vulnerability of TS is transmitted from one generation to another. The gene, called Gts (Gilles de la Tourette syndrome) gene, primarily affects the functioning of neurotransmitters, the brain’s chemical messengers, which carry signals from one neuron to another across a gap called a synapse (Goldman, 1995, p. 69). Most people who inherit the gene(s) will not develop symptoms severe enough to warrant medical attention. A person with TS has a 50-50 chance of passing the gene(s) on to one of his/her offspring (Bruun, 1...
