TSA HONORS LOVE

Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA)
9th Annual Champion of Children Awards Dinner
Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA

HONOREES
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT
NEAL SWERDLOW, MD, PhD
BRIAN WEBBER

On February 16, 2006, TSA held its 9th Annual Champion of Children Awards Dinner at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. This year's honorees and recipients of the TSA Champion of Children Award were Brian Webber, Managing Director and Head of Technology Investment Banking at UBS, Neal Swerdlow, M.D. Ph.D, Past Chairman of the TSA Scientific Advisory Board and professor, University of California San Diego Department of Psychiatry and singer-actress/producer Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Co-chaired by Ken and Julie Moelis and Jeffrey Kramer and Viktoria Holm Kramer, this year's dinner raised over $1.8 million to support TSA's education, research and service to the Tourette Syndrome community.

Other notable guests included actor Richard Lewis, actresses Amy Aquino, Sally Kellerman and Jami Gertz, model Keith Collins, actress and comedienne Jill-Michele Melean, Los Angeles Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy, stuntman and actor Peter Antico and actor, director and producer Allan Rich.

A special focal point of the evening was a 7-minute film highlighting TSA's various successes in 2005, including the premiere of "I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me" on HBO and the national media coverage surrounding the documentary; a significant breakthrough in the genetic underpinnings of TS; and numerous accomplishments in the areas of government relations, awareness, education and research. The short film was narrated by Sally Kellerman.

In honor of a decade as chairman of the TSA Scientific Advisory Board, Neal Swerdlow, M.D. Ph.D. was presented the Champion of Children Award from TSA Chairman, Monte Redman. "As we present this award to him, I think we all know that in his heart, the true award is the realization that through his dedication and unselfish giving of himself to our cause, the world is a much better place for all people living with Tourette Syndrome.

Dr. Swerdlow said in his speech, "Almost everything we know about TS today can be traced directly to studies funded by your support to the TSA. The simplest questions, like what TS is, how many people have it, or what happens to them over time, wouldn't have answers, were it not for the TSA."

Tourette Syndrome

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (Tourette Syndrome or TS) is a neurological disorder which becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence between the ages of 2 and 15. Tourette syndrome is defined by multiple motor and vocal tics lasting for more than one year. Many people have only motor tics or only vocal tics. The first symptoms usually are involuntary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. These tics are frequent, repetitive and rapid. The most common first symptom is a facial tic (eye blink, nose twitch, grimace), and is replaced or added to by other tics of the neck, trunk, and limbs.

These involuntary (outside the patient's control) tics may also be complicated, involving the entire body, such as kicking and stamping. Many persons report what are described as premonitory urges -- the urge to perform a motor activity. Other symptoms such as touching, repetitive thoughts and movements and compulsions can occur.

There are also verbal tics. These verbal tics (vocalizations) usually occur with the movements; later they may replace one or more motor tics. These vocalizations include grunting, throat clearing, shouting and barking. The verbal tics may also be expressed as coprolalia (the involuntary use of obscene words or socially inappropriate words and phrases) or copropraxia (obscene gestures). Despite widespread publicity, coprolalia/copropraxia is uncommon with tic disorders.

Neither echolalia (echo speech) or coprolalia/copropraxia is necessary for the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. All patients have involuntary movements and some have vocalizations. Echo phenomena are also reported, although less frequently. These may include repeating word of others (echolalia), repeating ones own words (palilalia), and repeating movements of others.

Although the symptoms of TS vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Associated conditions can include attentional problems (ADHD/ADD, impulsiveness (and oppositional defiant disorder), obsessional compulsive behavior, and learning disabilities. There is usually a family history of tics, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, OCD. Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders occur in all ethnic groups. Males are affected 3 to 4 times more often than females.

Most people with TS and other tic disorders will lead productive lives. There are no barriers to achievement in their personal and professional lives. Person with TS can be found in all professions. A goal of TSA is to educate both patients and the public of the many facets of tic disorders. Increased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to people with Tourette Syndrome.

The disorder was named for a French neuropsychiatrist who successfully assessed the disorder in the late 1800's:

Georges Gilles de la Tourette

Georges Gilles de la Tourette (born Georges Albert Edouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette!) in 1857 was a French physician (today he would be described as a neurologist) who made several valuable contributions to medicine and literature.

The first reported case of Tourette syndrome was by another French doctor named Itard in 1825. Dr. Itard described the case of Marquise de Dampierre, a woman of nobility who was quite an important person in her time. In 1885 Dr. de la Tourette described nine patients with the syndrome of multiple motor and vocal tics. His major contribution was to define these patients as having a movement disorder that now bears his name.

(Left to Right) Viktoria Holm Kramer, Neal Swerdlow MD PhD, Jennifer Love Hewitt (holding the award), Brian Webber and Julie Moelis.