A chat with the Tourette OCD Alberta Network

Featured image with four images of Alberta: Banff, Calgary, Edmonton and Spirit Island

From a cosy Canmore cafe, the Rockies are a reminder of the worlds harsh, unforgiving nature. Not that this has ever stopped humans trying to tame it. The mountains stand tall, as do the Albertans beneath them, trying to navigate a different landscape.  Research into Tourette and OCD takes place in this province, embracing a […]

Levelling up: Life as a Game Artist with Tourette syndrome

A selfie of Lu with the title's 'indie game artist' to the left and 'digital artist and creator' to the right.

Lu, 21, is an indie game artist and director, studying a masters in Game Art at Falmouth University and currently working as a 2D artist at Strange Folk Studios. I had the pleasure of asking Lu a few questions on working/studying in the game industry with Tourette syndrome. Hi Lu! Firstly, you seem to have a few projects on […]

Tourette and OCD support in Canada

A lady with a Canadian Flag stands in front of a lake with the heading 'Support in Canada' in backdrop

Canada contains national and regional charities and organisations within its provinces and territories. Tourette Canada International OCD Foundation   Articles from provinces and territories

Whoopa! A chat with Jump Start Jonny

A snippet of a Jumpstart Jonny Instagram post with the title of article in bottom left corner

Jump start Jonny– aka Jonny Stewart- has a mission. His mission is to get kids fit.  As a child, Jonny found it difficult to concentrate. The lack of concentration would affect sports too, however Jonny did become successful in squash. After discovering a love for group exercise Jonny became a fitness instructor, a change from […]

Does Dan Aykroyd have Tourette?

An image of Dan Aykroyd, with the title of post on the left of his image

Dan Aykroyd. The iconic actor, comedian, musician. While Aykroyd is renowned for his witty performances and ghost-busting abilities, some myth-busting needs to be done. Does Dan Aykroyd have Tourette Syndrome? As we know, Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations known as tics. In an interview with NPR, […]

Does Melanie Sykes have Tourette? A sufferer speaks

In July 2023, news channels started publishing articles stating Melanie Sykes- a British television presenter- was recently diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. The problem is, Melanie Sykes took to Twitter to say this wasn’t the case. Hello there. For the record I have NOT been 'diagnosed' with Tourettes. I self identify because of my studies and […]

Neuroimaging in Tourette syndrome: a chat with Jade-Jocelyne Zouki

Title of post with neurons in backdrop

Many thanks for chatting with us Jade. How did you get into researching Tourette syndrome?  I got involved in Tourette syndrome research in the third year of my Psychology degree while undertaking an internship at the Royal Children’s Hospital here in Melbourne. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue researching Tourette syndrome for […]

Clenching fist tics

A clenched fist is normally an aggressive gesture. With a tic-disorder, a clenched fist comes from an unwanted urge, and not a sign of aggression. In ways, clenched fists tics can share similarities with tics like foot-stomping. They may appear aggressive or defensive, giving people the wrong perception. This can lead to problems for children […]

Muscle-related tics

Motor tics work muscles. Sometimes, tics specifically target muscles, such as tensing and flexing. This can be tiring, and risk injury due to overuse. Motor tics work muscles.  Eye blinking, head nodding, punching… muscles work to carry out these tics. For some, the muscle movement is the tic, involving flexing, tensing or squeezing. This can […]