Tourette syndrome (often misspelled “turrets”) is thought to be caused by a mix of genetic vulnerability and brain chemistry/brain circuit differences, influenced by some environmental factors before and shortly after birth.

What doctors think causes Tourette syndrome

  • The exact cause is still unknown ; there is no single proven trigger or gene so far.
  • It is considered a neurodevelopmental condition, meaning it develops as the brain is growing, usually with tics starting between ages 2–15 (average around 6).

1. Genetics (it often “runs in families”)

  • Tourette syndrome is highly heritable : close relatives of someone with Tourette are far more likely to have tics or Tourette than people in the general population.
  • No single gene has been found; scientists think many genes each add a small amount of risk.
  • A child of a parent with Tourette has a significant chance of developing some tics or related traits, and boys are about 3–4 times more likely than girls to develop Tourette.

2. Brain circuits and brain chemicals

Brain scans and research point to problems in specific movement-control circuits in the brain.

  • Areas involved include the basal ganglia , thalamus , frontal lobes , and cortex , which help plan and control movement and behavior.
  • Researchers believe that abnormal activity in these circuits leads to tics—sudden movements or sounds the person can’t easily stop.
  • Neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) seem to be part of the problem, especially:
    • Dopamine
    • Serotonin
    • GABA, glutamate, histamine and others
  • Many medicines that help tics work by changing dopamine signaling , which supports the idea that dopamine imbalance is important in Tourette.

3. Environmental and pregnancy-related factors

Genes are not the whole story; certain environmental factors seem to change risk in people who are already vulnerable. Commonly discussed risk factors include:

  • Pregnancy and birth factors
    • Maternal stress, severe vomiting/illness during pregnancy
    • Smoking or other substance exposure in pregnancy
    • Complications during pregnancy or delivery (for example, forceps use in some reports)
    • Premature birth or low birth weight , especially the smaller twin in premature twin pairs
  • Early-life medical issues (less clearly proven, still being researched)
    • Certain infections (especially some theories about streptococcal infections) may trigger or worsen tics in a subset of children, but this is not confirmed for most cases.
* Possible links have been explored with head injury, carbon monoxide poisoning, or encephalitis, but these are considered rare and not the usual cause.

These are risk factors , not guarantees: many children with these factors never develop Tourette, and many with Tourette did not have any obvious issues at birth.

4. What Tourette syndrome is not caused by

  • It is not caused by bad parenting, poor discipline, or a child “seeking attention.”
  • It is not thought to be caused by psychological trauma alone, though stress can make tics more noticeable or more frequent.
  • It is not just “swearing disease”: only a minority of people with Tourette shout obscenities, despite this being a common stereotype.

5. Why it shows up in childhood and may improve later

  • Because it is neurodevelopmental, the brain changes that lead to Tourette happen while the brain is maturing; this is why tics usually start in childhood.
  • For many people, tics peak in early teen years and then often reduce in severity in late teens or adulthood, though this varies.

Mini example: a typical story

A child with a family history of mild tics starts blinking and throat- clearing at age 7. Over time the tics change, sometimes getting worse during stressful school years and easing up on holidays. Brain scans would likely show subtle differences in movement-control circuits and dopamine signaling, but nothing like a tumor or stroke. This pattern fits the current understanding: a genetically based brain-circuit difference whose expression is shaped a bit by environment and stress.

Quick recap (plain answer)

  • Tourette syndrome is caused by a combination of genes and brain-circuit differences , especially in areas that control movement and behavior.
  • Environmental factors around pregnancy and birth, plus some early-life factors, can increase risk but do not cause it alone.
  • There is no single known cause yet; research is ongoing in genetics, brain imaging, and immune/infection links.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.