12 students exhibit symptoms similar to Tourette's

[The Straight Story]

LEROY — Administrators in LeRoy school district have updated parents and students about a mysterious disorder that's affected 12 female high school students, causing them to exhibit symptoms similar to Tourette's syndrome.

Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder defined by involuntary motor and vocal tics.

Wednesday night, administrators with the Genesee County school district said all 12 students have been diagnosed and are being treated. Officials are not releasing individual causes due to patient privacy laws. They said they found similarities among some cases but wouldn't elaborate.

"I can assure you these children have all been seen by professionals that have come up with answers and they are all being treated and they're actually doing pretty well," said Dr. Greg Young, with the state Department of Health.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120114/NEWS01/201140326

[Charlemagne]

1. The free market will fix it

Our taxes shouldnt go to helping this. They should have made better choices.

[madmom]

2. witches!!

just to be safe..... this IS sarcasim!

[Voice for Peace]

3. I had the same thought.. the Salem girls

[obamanut2012]

10. My first thought, too

Mass hysteria.

[a simple pattern]

4. Could it have anything to do with this Superfund site?

http://cfpub.epa.gov/superrods/index.cfm?fuseaction=data.rodinfo&id=0203481&mRod=02034811999ROD107

[jberryhill]

5. What's the name for "mass hysteria"

Isn't there a psychological phenomenon in which a group of people exhibit similar unusual behaviors?

[3waygeek]

9. You mean "Tea Party Syndrome"? n/t

[Odin2005]

13. Of course, those hysterical women, it's all in their heads.

[jberryhill]

15. That's why the quotes...

There's a clinical name for a shared delusion, and I can't remember what it is.

Would you like to help me remember, or would you like to be pedantic and point out the same issue I have with the word "hysteria"?

[Odin2005]

18. Such things are downplayed when they affect women.

Women get accused of being "hysterical" and then are told "it's all in their heads".

[jberryhill]

20. Psychological Conditions Aren't In Your Kidneys, You Know

Are you saying these young women have not manifested a condition that might best be addressed by appropriate therapy?

They don't have Tourettes and have suddenly and simultaneously begun behaving in an unusual manner.

One can develop an obsessional disorder and one can obtain treatment for it. To say that it is "in your head" is colloquially used to suggest that psychological conditions are somehow unimportant or a character flaw. However, that's where you get 'em.

[DesertRat]

21. It's called mass psychogenic illness

It's a rare, stress-induced condition.

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/mass-psychogenic-illness.html

[marybourg]

6. Hmmm. The "vocal tics" of Tourette's

usually consist of compulsive cursing and uttering of offensive words. Terrible affliction , but not difficult to falsify. Sounds like a teen age hoax to me.

[MadHound]

7. Actually that's no the case most of the time,

It is the particular symptom that gets the most play in the media, but most victims with Tourette's have vocal "tics" that are anything but cursing.

Most vocal "tics" consist of coughing, sniffing, throat clearing and the like. They are also accompanied by physical tics of the face and eyes.

[marybourg]

12. Interesting. Both people I've

kown with the condition did make inappropriate utterances frequently.

[Ecumenist]

8. Most of the people who deal with Tourette's don't display coprolalia...apparently, it's a rare

occurance.

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. I've known two peop;le with Tourette's, and neither of them ever did that

I also understand that it is exceedingly rare, despite its over-representation in media (especially TV).

Not really an accurate description of the vast majority of Tourette's cases.

[Odin2005]

14. I'm sure it will all get blamed on "Female Hysteria".

[jberryhill]

17. I found it.... "collective obsessional behavior"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_hysteria

You can go off on a historically loaded name, or try to reflect on what might be going on in the story.

"Sometimes referred to as Mass Psychogenic Illness or epidemic hysteria, there is a clear preponderance of female victims."

[Enrique]

16. you know a reality show is coming

the only question is, what will it be called?

[The Straight Story]

19. Story Update:

It is still a mystery as to what's going on with about a dozen teenage girls in LeRoy. Last night, the NYS Health Department said each girl with those Tourette-like symptoms is diagnosed and getting treatment.

...

..

Dr.Gregory Young from the New York State Health Department did say the girls are diagnosed by their doctors, getting treated and getting better. But when you talk to the parents of some of the girls -- that's just not the case.

"Well in my opinion we've only just begun. If you haven't found anything then we have to turn some more stones and we need to have another investigation that is not government related," Jim Dupont said.

...

One of the girls affected called us

One of the girls with the symptoms called us on the phone. She said she has not been diagnosed. She's still blacking out and she's been out of school for three months. She said her doctor told her "it's something neurological that they can't figure it out yet."

One diagnosis: Conversion Disorder

One doctor told Miller that her daughter could have something called conversion disorder. It's a neurological problem brought on by stress, just like the tics.

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2451060.shtml?cat=565