Have you ever tried to ignore a nagging itch, but in the end your urge to scratch it is just too much? Well, this is called a premonitory urge and it is the prerequisite to a tic in a Tourette patient.
Tourette’s is a brain developmental disorder that is characterized by involuntary movements or sounds. It is not fatal, neither is it normally progressive. Research has shown that it is only progressive in about one out of fifty TS patients.
A cure has not yet been developed, however treatment is available to help manage the symptoms. To ensure TS does not stand in the way of success, excellence, and life in general.
The symptoms start to show from two to fifteen years old. It is thought that the symptoms appear at this point as neuronal wiring is being extended. After the teens, the symptoms start to fade out in most cases because the brain has finally matured. In some cases, the faulty wiring will have corrected itself.
Due to the nature of the symptoms, it is thought that this condition involves the neurons that produce dopamine and serotonin in the basal ganglia and the hippocampus.
This makes CBD quite the fitting treatment agent. As cannabinoid receptors are heavily present in these areas. The Tourette Association of America suggested that this means that CBD and cannabis, in general, could help relieve symptoms of Tourette’s. The subject of CBD use for Tourette’s has also been researched quite a bit.
Ticcing
In Tourette’s patients, a high frequency of tics can be very disruptive. It interrupts the train of thought and breaks attention. It can also be disruptive to whoever is around the patient.
The best thing to do is to try to minimize the ‘triggers’ of ticcing. Tourette is fractal, this means that there will be minutes, hours, and days colored with heavier and more aggressive ticcing than others. So learn to recognize the good and bad days.
One of the many studies conducted in Hanover Germany, involved 64 TS patients, 17 of them reported having used cannabis to ease the Tourette’s symptoms. 14 of those patients said that their ticcing was relieved. Some patients noticed partial relief while others experienced complete relief. The patients also reported experiencing less premonitory urges.
All the studies agreed on one point, the cannabinoids brought order to basal ganglia and hippocampus. Since, research has brought attention to an abnormality in these parts of the brain.
Another study published in 2017 in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience found that tics decreased in more than 60% of the patients. 18 out of 19 patients reported improvement in the ticcing.
Another 2017 case study, published in the Internal Journal of Molecular Sciences, found that of two patients revealed that cannabinoids provided relief from vocal tics. Cannabinoids were also better tolerated than the conventional meds.
Co-Occurring Conditions
Tourette’s syndrome may occur with a host of other debilitating conditions, like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for example. This is a mental condition where the person experiences a need to zero in and focus unreasonably on something. Research has found that CBD works to sooth the panic that turns a compulsion into an obsession.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is another condition that frequently co-occurs with Tourette’s.
A 2008 case report on a 28-year-old man shed some light on how effective cannabis can be. In this case, only THC was involved. The man had received multiple drug and traffic violations, which were attributed to ADHD. His performance and mental state significantly improved upon administration of cannabis.
A study conducted in 2012 tested the efficacy of CBD on ADHD/ADD and it was found that CBD inhibits hyperactivity. This study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Insomnia
Disordered sleep is common in Tourette’s patients, this is due to the fact that ticcing is increased during REM sleep. This then leads to delayed sleep onset, where it takes too long to fall into a deep restful sleep. This is a contributing factor to the aggression and outbursts of anger, not to mention mood swings. It can quickly become a vicious cycle. No sleep due to ticcing and, in return more ticcing due to lack of sleep.
CBD has been used for ages in the treatment of sleep disorders. It helps to gain a better quality sleep by shortening the REM sleep part of the cycle.
In this case, CBD will help in two ways. The first of course is by reducing the amount and frequency of ticcing. The second way CBD helps is by reducing the amount of time it takes to fall into deep sleep. This makes a significant improvement in the quality of life for the TS patient.
Anxiety
TS patients may exhibit shyness or separation anxiety. Anxiety is when the body is always plugged into the fight or flight mode, where the body has a constant heightened sense of awareness.
During these times, the heart beats fast enough to supply blood/oxygen to the muscles. So that the body is ready to deal with whatever. The hippocampus is responsible for interpreting incoming threats. This part tells us whether a stimulus is worth pumping up for or not.
This part of the brain is also rich in cannabinoid receptors. CBD is an effective treatment agent for anxiety as it addresses the problem through the said receptors. With this, patients may not need some of the meds in the Tourette’s treatment course.
Aggression
A study showed that 45% of TS patients had difficulty with aggressive behavior. This symptom is more common in older children. It is believed that this is due to the fact that both aggression and Tourette’s Syndrome have a similar neuronal pathway.
This can cause harm by members of the public who have no understanding of the condition. The aggression usually leads to outbursts of anger or temper tantrums. The evidence supporting the efficacy of CBD for aggression in Tourette’s patients is anecdotal however, research outside of the Tourette’s syndrome field is in full support of CBD use for aggression.
Adjunctive to Prescribed Meds
When first diagnosed, patients will usually receive a course of dopaminergic drugs, Botox muscle injections, adrenergic inhibitors, antidepressants, and anti-seizures in some cases. Some cases might necessitate different kinds of therapy. CBD can help increase the efficacy, it can even take over the role of some of the elements with adverse effects.
A case study of a 24-year-old woman was conducted in 2002. It was found that cannabis helped enhance the efficacy of the meds.
Another study published in the Journal of Life Sciences in 1989 suggested the same. It was found that cannabis helped pharmaceutical action in motor diseases. It was also noted that relief was experienced in patients who were previously resistant to meds.
Often Forgotten
Tourette’s does not affect a relatively large population. There are well known successful people who live with the condition. This means that Tourette syndrome may often fall through the cracks for research and studies.
With CBD being such a positive entrant into the field of Tourette’s, it is exciting to see what it can do for the community. It may not be that disruptive or fatal but that is not to say patients would not like to be free of it.
37% of the patients still suffer a moderate to severe form of the condition, they would definitely benefit from CBD for TS research.
