Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body from doing these things, just like we can’t stop ourselves from coughing or sneezing. For example, a person with a motor tic might keep blinking over and over, or a person with a vocal tic might make a grunting sound unwillingly in a high frequency.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR)1 is used by health professionals to help diagnose tic disorders.
Three tic disorders are included in the DSM-5-TR:
- Tourette syndrome (TS, sometimes called Tourette disorder)
- Persistent (sometimes called chronic) motor or vocal tic disorder
- Provisional tic disorder
They each have different characteristics:
Tourette Syndrome patients will exhibit both motor and vocal tics, lasting for at least one year.
People with persistent motor or vocal tic disorders have either motor or vocal tics, lasting for at least 1 year.
People with provisional tic disorders can have motor or vocal tics, or both, but have had their symptoms less than 1 year.
Here are the criteria in shortened form. Please note that they are presented for your information only and should not be used for self-diagnosis. If you are concerned about any of the symptoms listed, you should consult a trained healthcare provider with experience in diagnosing and treating tic disorders2.
Reference
- American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2022.
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/tourette/diagnosis.html