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Extracorporeal 'phantom' tics in Tourette's syndrome
1National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Neurology
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Some patients with Tourette's syndrome experience premonitory sensations in external objects or people. This case study suggests expanding the definition of sensory tics to include these unusual extracorporeal sensations.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Sensory processing disorders
Background:
- Tics are sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movements or vocalizations.
- Premonitory sensations are uncomfortable urges preceding tic occurrence.
- Typically, these sensations are focal and localized to the body part involved in the tic.
Observation:
- A patient with Tourette's syndrome reported unusual sensory experiences preceding tics.
- These sensations were localized to external people or objects, not the patient's own body.
- Discomfort from these "out-of-body" sensations was alleviated by interacting with the perceived external source.
Findings:
- The patient's tic-related sensations were extracorporeal, extending beyond the self.
- Interacting with external objects or people provided temporary relief from these unusual sensations.
- This challenges the traditional understanding of premonitory sensation localization.
Implications:
- The definition of premonitory sensations in tic disorders should be broadened to include extracorporeal experiences.
- Clinicians should inquire about external sensory experiences in patients with Tourette's syndrome.
- Future theories of tic generation must account for the phenomenon of extracorporeal sensory experiences.