Tic Disorder: 5 Essential Questions – 1

Tourette via Wikipedia

Tic Disorder: The Top 5 Questions To Ask

This is the first of five posts on questions to ask about the origins of Tic Disorder in the office – this first question considers Immunity issues as contributory.

The details matter, and the new science helps unwind the puzzle of Tourette's and Tics. Interestingly each of these questions appears at first to drive a subset of treatment. At CorePsych we have seen the most successful treatment outcomes from the application of a variety of interventions, sometimes all applied in the same time frames.

• Medications can help [alpha-2 agonists like tenex and clonidine], [but can also aggravate]
• Neurofeedback clearly has helped many in our offices,
• Balancing of neurotransmitters has significantly helped after
• Correcting the antigen invasion of food allergies [most often 1. milk, 2. eggs and 3. wheat – I call them the New Jersey Trifecta, and, yes, in that order in appearance in our offices!] – and….
• Measurement of toxins, heavy metals, and trace elements – this is one is big, and remarkably commonplace
• The point: neuroscience evidence, data measurement matters.

1. Is Tic Disorder Secondary To Immune Dysfunction?

Overview: Lets take a look at some Tic details:

– “It has been observed in clinical studies that individuals with Chronic Tic Disorder (CTD), Tourette’s syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are also predisposed to having physical problems that co-exist in addition to the symptoms of the disorder.”

So many of these presentations are associated with “immunity issues” in one form or another. These presentations include:

• Allergy
• Anxiety
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Autoimmune Disease
• Chronic Pain
• Cognitive Difficulty
• Eating Disorder
• Headaches and Migraines
• Hyperactivity
• Inflammation
• Poor Immunity
• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

Deeper Reference: from Columbia University Center for Infection and Immunity

“A new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health’s Center for Infection and Immunity indicates that pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's syndrome and/or tic disorder may develop from an inappropriate immune response to the bacteria causing common throat infections. The mouse model findings, published online by Nature Publishing Group in this week’s Molecular Psychiatry, support the view that this condition is a distinct disorder, and represent a key advance in tracing the path leading from an ordinary infection in childhood to the surfacing of a psychiatric syndrome. The research provides new insights into identifying children at risk for autoimmune brain disorders and suggests potential avenues for treatment.”

The subject: pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS)

Molecular Psychiatry 15, 712-726 (July 2010)

PANDAS is on our radar, but we see so many who have been worked up by pediatricians who specialize in pediatric autoimmune conditions, and the children often simply don't get better with courses of treatment that should correct that strep infectious process.

Immunity and Tic Disorder – Bottom Line

Clearly we have seen improvements in our offices using a variety of tests to determine other potential underlying causes. After PANDAS is ruled out – the order for testing is simple [after we have simply tried adjusting the medications that might be causing the tic disorder]:

1. Neurotransmitter testing and IgG – We use Neuroscience. Why? Because their results are readable, translate well, and can be communicated in an effective intervention strategy. And, most importantly we have had some dramatic improvements with tic disorder by simply changing the diet.
2. Testing for neurotoxins and imbalances with Toxic Elements Inc. – their results are readable, again translate well. Copper is the documented culprit with some of these folks as seen in these next references:
3. This one-two testing punch has proven significantly helpful, not for everyone, – but enough to put this testing process together – zinc, copper, leaky gut, trace elements, all can make a difference.

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1.  http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/01/03/peds.2010-2391.abstract and, for example, foods in this article ->
2. Gerrard JW, Richardson JS, Donat J. Neuropharmacological evaluation of movement disorders that are adverse reactions to specific foods, Int J Neurosci. 1994 May; 76(1-2):61-9. PMID: 7960470 [PubMed]

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 Consider This Useful Diagram From Great Plains Labs – Link

Tic Disorder Evidence Wheel

Tic disorder is complex, seen quite frequently with ADHD, but will often correct – with the right information…

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Related articles

• Neurobiology of Tourettes Syndrome (brainposts.blogspot.com)
• Sudden Development of a Facial Tic (everydayhealth.com)
• October Tourette Syndrome Research News (foundnewsthatmatters.wordpress.com)
• Unexplained Twitching (everydayhealth.com)
• Does rapid blinking mean I have Tourette's Syndrome? (zocdoc.com)
• Tourette Syndrome (findmeacure.com)
• Of Tics and Compulsions: Brain Imaging Teases Apart Tourette's and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (scientificamerican.com)
• Treating Tourette's: Histamine Gene May Be Behind Some Tic Disorders (scientificamerican.com)
• Fresh Effort to Counter Tourette Tics (online.wsj.com)
• Child Developed OCD After Strep Throat (abcnews.go.com)
• Neurobiology of Tourette Syndrome: Current Status and Need for Further Investigation (jneurosci.org)
• Almost 17 percent of Spanish children suffer tics (eurekalert.org)