TIC syndrome in children

TICs are disorders that cause children to repeat unintentional and uncontrollable actions of the body’s muscles such as: shaking the head; blinking, eye twitching; grunt, snort, or clear your throat.

TIC disorders usually begin in childhood, first manifesting when the child is about 5 years old, the disorder is more common in boys than girls. Many cases of TIC disorders are temporary and pass within a year. However, some people who experience tremors develop a chronic disorder.

According to the Ministry of Health, over the past time, many southern children’s hospitals have recorded many cases of pediatric patients with TIC disorders. Doctors say that, in addition to genetic factors, abnormalities in the brain or neurotransmitters, a number of environmental and biological factors or anxiety can also cause TIC syndrome. These factors can be allergens, chemicals, or children are affected by movies or video games. Children with TIC disorder are often allowed to watch TV, the internet, play games, play ipad… too much.

Through actual treatment, doctors said that for children with TIC, when they were advised to give up playing games, stay away from electronic devices, phones, and not watch TV, the disease improved quite well.

Meanwhile, a study published in The Wall Street Journal (USA) also reported that teenage girls in this country who go to the doctor complain of seizures, such as jerky movements, repeated speech, 10 times more than before the occurrence. the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts say there is a significant increase in adolescents with TICs. Since March 2020, Texas Children’s Hospital (USA) reported seeing about 60 cases, while before that, each year there were only about 1-2 cases. At Johns Hopkins University’s Tourette Center in Baltimore, 10–20% of pediatric patients described acute-onset TIC-like behaviors, up from 2-3% a year before the pandemic. The common point of these cases is that children often use phones and have a passion for the TikTok application.

Sheet Medical News Today cites studies stating that to date the exact cause of TIC disorders has not been identified. However, recent studies suggest that some specific gene mutations may have a role in causing TIC disorders. Brain chemicals such as glutamate, serotonin, and dopamine have also been implicated in this disorder.

Conditions associated with TIC disorders, especially in children, include: anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, difficulty speaking, difficulty sleeping. Diseases with direct causes also lead to TIC disorders in children such as strong collisions, head injuries, infections, toxins, surgery…

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there are 3 types of TIC disorders, including transient TIC disorder, Tourette syndrome, and transient TIC disorder. This syndrome usually occurs in children under 18 years of age. About 20% of school-age children have TIC disorders, symptoms are often severe when the child is 11-12 years old, then gradually decrease when the child enters puberty.

The defining symptoms of a TIC disorder can be classified as:

Engine feeling: they include rhythms such as head and shoulder movements, blinking, jerking, banging, finger clicking, or touching other objects or people.

Sound: TIC disorders cause sound disturbances, such as a child coughing, clearing his throat or grunting, or repeating words or phrases.

In addition to me, TIC can also manifest as sudden and transient tremors using few muscle groups. For example, picking your nose, rolling your eyes or clearing your throat; complex sensations involving coordinated movements using several muscle groups; The pruritus is often preceded by an unpleasant sensation, such as itching or tingling. If not treated and controlled early, TIC can cause more severe symptoms such as anxiety disorders, excitement, anger and fatigue, irritability when inclement weather…

According to experts, TIC disorders are not life-threatening, but they are unsightly for children, making parents prone to stress. Children with chronic disorders have a lower quality of life and lower self-esteem than children without one of these conditions.

Mr. Chi