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Society and culture

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) circa 1772. Johnson had Tourette syndrome.

Not everyone with Tourette's wants treatment or a "cure", especially if that means they may "lose" something else in the process. Some people believe that there may be latent advantages associated with genetic vulnerability to the syndrome.There is evidence to support the clinical lore that children with "TS-only" (Tourette's in the absence of comorbid conditions) are unusually gifted: neuropsychological studies have identified advantages in children with TS-only. One study found that children with TS-only are faster than the average for their age group on timed motor coordination.

Notable individuals with Tourette syndrome are found in all walks of life, including musicians, athletes and authors. The best-known example of a person who may have used obsessive-compulsive traits to advantage is Dr Samuel Johnson, the 18th-century English man of letters, who had Tourette syndrome as clearly evidenced by the writings of James Boswell. Johnson wrote A Dictionary of the English Language in 1747, and was a prolific writer, poet, and critic.

Although it has been speculated that Mozart had Tourette's,no Tourette's expert or organization has presented credible evidence to show that this was the case, and there are problems with the available data.

The entertainment industry often depicts those with Tourette syndrome as social misfits whose only tic is coprolalia, which has furthered stigmatization and the public's misunderstanding of those with Tourette's. The coprolalic symptoms of Tourette's are also fodder for radio and television talk shows in the US and in the British media.

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