Control
Anyone can experience spasm-like movements of particular muscles. These movements, called tics and twitches, can occur anywhere in the body. They are mostly harmless and temporary. However, in some cases they may be caused by a tic disorder.

Childhood
Tics usually start in childhood around the age of 7, and are at their worst between the ages of 10 and 12. In approximately half of children, most tic symptoms disappear by the age of 18.
Almost one in five children have tics at one point in their lives. Tics that involve movements, such as eye blinking, are called motor tics. Those that involve sounds, such as throat clearing, are called vocal tics.

Common
“Tics are quite common in children and can become a large burden”, explains Dr Pieter J. Hoekstra, Psychiatrist and Scientific Coordinator of EMTICS, on www.HorizonHealth.eu. Working as both researcher and clinician, Dr Hoekstra is well aware of the large gaps in the knowledge of tics.

Infections
“It is important to know why some children develop tics while others do not. We know that tics are related to processes in the brain and that genes play a role. But infections may also be important: some children suddenly develop tics after a throat infection”, says Hoekstra.

Experts
EMTICS brings together experts from 10 countries. Their aim is to identify the genetic and environmental factors that determine who develops tic disorders. “We are especially interested in the role of autoimmunity and infections”, says Dr Hoekstra.

Read more on the project page of EMTICS.