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Medical Treatments for TS The subject began at 400uA and
A chronic neurodevelopmental moved to the device’s maximum of
disorder, TS is characterized by tics: In its more 500uA during the first day of treat-
• repetitive, ment. He ran the device at 500uA
• involuntary movements, and advanced thereafter. The first day he ran the
device for eight 20-minute sessions.
• vocalizations. He soon went to four sessions per
These symptoms can have a stages, TS can day, and for the last sessions he
significant impact on patients’ daily wore the device from one to three
functioning across many domains put jail security daily sessions.
(Eddy, Rickards & Cavanna, 2011).
Of the pharmacological treat- officers, as well Findings
ments available, dopamine antago- The pretreatment assessment
nists are most frequently prescribed as inmates, at scores averaged 4.3 points, suggest-
for reducing tics. These include neu- ing a significant amount of emo-
roleptics, benzamides, and atypical tional stress and a high degree of tic
antipsychotics. Other treatments— risk for physical expressions. However, his aver-
those which modulate noradrenalin, age scores began demonstrating a
GABA and acetylcholine—have also harm. steady increase of positive improve-
been found somewhat helpful in ment in his daily life experience. For
reducing symptoms. Unfortunately, example, at the end of the second
the treatments frequently come with day of treatment his average score
significant side-effects. Counseling was 7.7. By the completion of the
can help with personal adjustment 10th day of treatment, his average
efforts, but there is no research sug- difficult symptom-related experi- rating was 9.0 out of 10 with five of
gesting it heals the disorder. ence. Conversely, the maximum the nine variables receiving scores
One research study (Qiao et al., positive score of 10, expressed free- of 10. His rating on the tics variable
2015) examined the utilization of dom from the symptom. was 10.
a noninvasive cortical stimulation The cumulative scale on page 30 The subject, on his own, contin-
device (CES) in adolescents suf- was maintained by the subject’s ued recording his daily assessments.
fering with TS, and it revealed an wife to reduce the influence of By the end of day 20, his mean score
increased positive activity in their earlier daily ratings by the subject. was 9.3. Five individual variables
anterior cingulate cortex, caudate, Each morning, the subject was received ratings of 10 each, includ-
and posterior cingulate cortex. given a copy of the rating scale with ing, again, the tics variable. His
In addition, the subjects showed blank entries for that day. That is, wife reported that he eventually
reduced activity in supplementary the morning scale only showed an began using the treatment once a
motor areas compared to subjects empty space for each of the nine day, twice a week. She also pro-
with TS who did not receive the variables. All tics, including urges vided quotes from the client that he
CES treatment. Beyond the publica- toward aggressive and violent repeated frequently as the treat-
tion by Qiao et.al. (2015), no other behaviors, were addressed under ment progressed. These included
related published research was the ninth variable, “tics.” “I don’t hate anything anymore...
located. except communists.” Also “I feel
Treatment Application like a completely new me.” Finally,
Dependent Variable The typical research design, “life-changing.” Four months after
The dependent variable was a using the CES device, involves initiating the CES treatment, the
self-assessment scale. It was devel- the subject wearing the device 20 subject was employed as an aircraft
oped by the principal researcher minutes per day for 2 to 3 days per maintenance technician and his
and the subject. The daily self- week. However, to personalize the plan was to begin his training to
assessment variables listed in the treatment for the present subject, become an aircraft mechanic.
chart were chosen by the client and permission was given for him to
reflected symptoms directly related vary both microamp volume (to the Summary
to his urges toward impulsively level he found most helpful) and to Individuals suffering with TS can
violent actions, aggressive verbal- choose the number of sessions per be arrested and sent to local jails.
izations, and emotional experiences. day. The research design established They may be seen as psychologi-
A score of one represented the most a 10-day limit on treatments. cally defective individuals by jail
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