Nervous tics: types, symptoms, causes and treatments
All people have experienced situations throughout our lives in which, due to our level of stress or nervousness, they have appeared a series of mild nervous tics but usually quite annoying.
Although this is usually temporary and does not have to be linked to any medical condition, nervous tics can be established chronically; triggering symptoms of anguish and anxiety that tend to make them worse.
- Related article: "Parts of the Nervous System: functions and anatomical structures"
What is a nervous tic?
By tics are understood all those involuntary body movements that appear as a result of a nervous contraction . These movements can appear in a multitude of muscle groups that, on other occasions, the person does move at will.
As a general rule, the person can control more or less these tics, not without this requiring a great effort on their part. However, it is most likely that they appear repeatedly and more seriously or intensely.
Also, both the intensity and the frequency of nervous tics will be much higher in in highly stressful situations .
Some of the involuntary movements traditionally associated with nervous tics are:
- Facial grimaces .
- Increase of the flicker rate.
- Flapping of the nostrils .
- Lateral movements of the head.
- Stretch one arm repeatedly.
- Raise your eyebrows .
- Lip biting.
- Coughing or clearing continuously
- Continuous repetition of a word.
Usually, these nervous tics occur for the first time in childhood, especially around five years, and are more frequent in men than in women. In most cases the tics remain limited in time, attenuating and disappearing over a year or so. However in some cases they can become a chronic disorder , especially when these are associated with some type of disorder or physical alteration.
All those who suffer some type of nervous tic usually refer a high degree of anguish and irritation in relation to them, because both tend to draw attention to those around him as it is not pleasant to experience sudden movements in moments more inopportune. This anxiety can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress which can make the situation even worse, since more anxiety is more likely to occur nervous tics.
- Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (causes and symptoms)"
What types of tics are there?
There is a small classification for nervous tics , which can differentiate between phonic or vocal tics and tinc motors. In addition, each of these groups can be subclassified into simple or complex tics. Therefore, the grouping would be the following.
1. Simple and complex motor tics
Nervous tics of simple motor category are those that occur more frequently in the general population. These use only a limited number of muscles ; as for example: movements of eyelids and eyebrows, hands or arms.
On the other hand, complex motor movements use and combine different groups of muscles, giving rise to jumps, blows, pirouettes or ecophoraxes, in which the affected person performs involuntary imitations of the movements of another person.
2. Simple and complex phonic tics
As its name suggests, nervous tics, both simple and complex, refer to the involuntary and uncontrollable emission of sounds . In the simple ones, the person can perform behaviors such as snorting, throat clearing or nose scratching, while the complexes consist of the automatic and uncontrolled repetition of words.
What happens with Tourette Syndrome?
Tourette Syndrome is considered as the complex neurological disorder in which phonic nervous tics and motor nervous tics are combined . To be considered such tics as symptomatic of Tourette Syndrome, these must have been present for more than a year, without a latency period of more than two months.
In addition, this condition usually appears in combination with other symptoms such as behaviors of an obsessive-compulsive nature and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The genetic cause of this syndrome has been determined, establishing the hypothesis that it is transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner. However, there are other genetic conditions that may be involved; such as genetic amplification, which refers to the gradual deterioration of the disease through the generations.
Usually, this syndrome begins with symptoms of nervousness and restlessness that can be confused with ADHD, followed by motor symptoms such as nervous facial tics and small jolts. Finally, the phonic tics appear, which usually confirm the diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome.
- Related article: "Tourette syndrome: what is it and how does it manifest?"
Causes and risk factors of nervous tics
Except for the case of Tourette Syndrome, whose causes have been established as genetic, for the time being It has been impossible to determine the exact causes of nervous tics not associated with another condition . Like Huntington's Korea, which also has tics and has a genetic origin.
However, many lines of research point to the possibility that brain chemistry, specifically neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin or amino acids such as glutamate, play a key role in the appearance and development of these nervous tics.
On the other hand, there are some specific cases in which the cause of the tic can be determined. These are:
- Side effects of surgery .
- Brain injuries.
- Poisoning by certain poisons.
- Stroke .
- Brain infections.
With regard to risk factors, there is a series of situations that facilitate the appearance of nervous tics. Those are:
- Genetic factors : Families with members who experience nervous tics.
- Sex: it has been observed that the incidence of appearance of tics is much higher in men than in women .
Is there a treatment?
As mentioned above, in most cases, nervous tics refer automatically and without any type of treatment. However, in those people in whom involuntary movements interfere significantly in their day to day, there are very effective treatments to mitigate or solve the problem.
The type of treatment most appropriate for the patient will depend on the type of tic, as well as its severity. However, there are three treatment categories that can be combined for greater effectiveness. These include psychological therapy, medication or deep brain stimulation.
1. Psychological therapy
Through techniques like Prevention of exposure and response (ERP) or habit reversal therapy , people can identify when a tic will appear and prevent it or use movements incompatible with them.
2. Pharmacological treatment
Whether alone or as a complement to psychological intervention, there are certain medications that are quite useful when it comes to reducing the appearance of tics. These medications are:
- Muscle relaxants.
- Botulinum toxin injections
- Anticonvulsant drugs .
- Antidopaminergic medication.
- Drugs for associated symptoms such as antidepressants or anxiolytics.
3. Deep brain stimulation
In those patients in whom the previous treatments have not been effective and that the tics suppose a serious problem for the quality of life of this one, it is possible to resort to the deep cerebral stimulation. By means of this technique, a device is implanted in the patient's brain that by means of electrical stimulation it manages to reduce the intensity and appearance of nervous tics.
