S7 - Episode 14 - Science Episode: Revisiting the TikTok Thing, Sex Differences

Tourette's Podcast

Recall our episode a while back with the authors of scientific report examining why doctors were seeing reported swells of young women over the course of the pandemic with Tourette-looking symptoms, and how social media like TikTok -- by way of the tic-heavy videos posted by influential Tourette personalities -- might be a player. We're revisiting that on this episode, but from a different angle. What else might be going on? Are we getting it wrong when it comes to what Tourette looks like in females?

What we examine:

Are there real differences in how Tourette expresses in boys versus girls, men versus women?

What's up with that observed boost in young women presenting tics? TikTok?

What do we know about Tourette Syndrome nowadays from a science standpoint?

How involved are Tourette patients in the conversations and work in science and medicine?

Our guest is Tourette scientist (and longtime friend of the show) Dr. Christine Conelea, who has been doing amazing work busting Tourette myths and bringing clarity to the public.

@cconelea on Twitter (and her 56-second summary of Tourette neuroscience)

Dr. Conelea giving us highlights from the recent paper "The Female Tourette Patient: Sex Differences in Tourette Disorder"

That paper in full

EXTRA: @ticsntatts discussing the "functional tics" thing

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