Understanding Tourette disorder and other tic disorders, with John Piacentini, PhD

Tourette's disorder and other tic disorders, affecting many school-aged children, are often misunderstood, especially regarding coprolalia, which is the use of obscene words. Dr. John Piacentini, a professor of psychiatry and clinical psychologist, explains that Tourette's involves motor and vocal tics stemming from an overactive brain with a leaky filter, causing behaviors to surface at inappropriate times. While Tourette's has a genetic component and is linked to neurotransmitter imbalances, it also co-occurs with conditions like OCD and ADHD due to shared mechanisms of disinhibition and negative reinforcement. Behavioral treatments like Habit Reversal Training and CBIT, which includes family involvement, have become frontline options, emphasizing a tic-neutral environment where children aren't punished or rewarded for tics, promoting a normal life.