 |
Medical Conference Addresses
Tourette Syndrome Issues LIVINGSTON, N.J., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ --
Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Mood Disorders, Tics and other related neurological disorders were the subject of the 9th Annual Islami Symposium at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The half-day conference was presented in partnership with Tourette Syndrome Association of New Jersey at the Islami Auditorium at the Medical Center located in Livingston, NJ.
More than 200 New Jersey pediatricians, neurologists, and other health care professionals attended. The conference was designated for a maximum of 3.5 hours in Category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.
The conference was titled "Tourette Syndrome and Related Disorders" and included presentations by leaders in Tourette research and treatment:
Cathy L. Budman, M.D., Psychiatrist and Director of the Movement Disorder Center at North Shore University Hospital and the NYU School of Medicine. Psychiatric Co-morbidities in Tourette Syndrome Leonard Adler, M.D., at the NYU School of Medicine. Attention Deficit Disorder and Related Conditions Ruth Dowling Bruun, M.D., Psychiatrist and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University. Psychopharmacologic Management of Tourette Syndrome and Associated Symptomology Marilyn Kubichek, M.D., of the Neuroscience Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center. Tourette Syndrome - A Pediatric Perspective Ronald Schwartz, M.D. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology at NYU School of Medicine and Director, Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program, St. Barnabas Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery Tourette: A Frontal-Subcortical Syndrome The conference objectives were to familiarize the participants with the behavioral symptoms encountered and how such behaviors relate to underlying tic diathesis; to provide an overview of the epidemiology, phenomenology, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common psychiatric co-morbidities in TS - ADHD, OCD, anxiety and mood disorders; to provide an overview of the recognition and treatment of complex behavioral symptoms found in some patients with TS; and to discuss psychopharmacologic treatment of TS with respect to tics and other manifestations.
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocals sounds called tics. TS affects people of all ethnic groups and as many as 1 in 200 people show at least a partial expression of the disorder. Many people with TS experience additional problems including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), learning disabilities, problems with impulse control, and sleep disorders.
The basic cause of TS is unknown but research suggests that there is an abnormality in the gene(s) affecting the brain's metabolism of dopamine, serotonin, and nerepinephrine. The disorder is generally inherited with about a 50% chance of passing the gene(s) that cause TS to an offspring. Males run a risk of developing symptoms 3 to 4 times higher than females.
"To my knowledge, this is the first time that a conference of this magnitude devoted to the subject of TS has been held in New Jersey," said Vincent D. Joseph, Executive Director of St. Barnabas Medical Center and board member of Tourette Syndrome Association of New Jersey. "Educating both the medical community and the community-at-large of the disorder is as important as finding the cause of TS. Medical professionals and teachers must learn to recognize TS so that appropriate treatment may be delivered. By hosting this conference, we have made great strides in helping to provide a vital educational tool and communicated our message throughout the state." For information, contact the TSANJ HelpLine at 732-472-4459.
SOURCE www.prnewswire.com (October 26, 1999)
(published with permission)
|
|
