DSM-IV-TR contains diagnostic categories for many problems that affect children. Tic disorder is one of them. Tics are involuntary, sudden, recurrent, stereotyped motor movements or vocalizations that are rapid and obviously not rhythmic.
A tic behavior rarely lasts more than a second at a time. People affected by tic behaviors experience them as irresistible, but can often suppress the behavior for a relatively shorter length of time.
Chronic tic disorders, once thought to be very rare, are now believed to be relatively common. Tic disorders generally begin in childhood and and can include motor tics, vocal tics or both.
Some motor tics are simple behaviors such as eye blinking, nose twitching, tooth clicking etc. But others like sticking out the tongue, hand clapping & so on are more complex. Vocal tics include grunting, sniffing, barking and throat clearing.
The pic attached shows diagnostic criteria of Tic disorder. If the tics occur many times, either daily or nearly everyday, for at least 4 weeks but not for as long as 12 months, then a diagnoses of transient tic disorder may be made.
Comments