Language and Speech in Tourette Syndrome: Phenotype and Phenomenology

Abstract

In this update we review our past publications on this topic and add new information on Tourette syndrome (TS) and speech and language disorders. The phenotype for TS is comprised of vocal and motor tics. The vocal tics are expressed as simple and complex, and in nearly all cases share the same neurolinguistic mechanisms of speech and language for insertion into speech and discourse. The tics are typically inserted into ongoing speech at pauses, points of change in inflection, and are typically without meaning. Adherence to segmental, lexical, and suprasegmental rules of linguistics suggest the role of tic selection; expression and elimination of tics involves multiple linguistic mechanisms which are poorly understood. TS increases the risk for clinically significant speech and language disorders.

Tourette’s syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding

“…Handwriting tics Repeated writing of the same word or sentence, outlining each letter multiple times, pulling back the pen when writing. Murphy and Muter (2012), Burd (2014), Zanaboni Dina (2016), Tourettes Action (2019, 2020)…”