Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome is a neuro-psychiatric disorder that generally affects children with normal intelligence and can affect also talented children. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome was first described in a book entitled "Malleus Maleficarum" which means "Witch's hammer" in the late 15th century. The book described a priest whose abnormal involuntary repetitive behaviors were considered to be related to possession by the devil. In the medical literature, Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, a French doctor was the first to describe a patient with this syndrome in 1825. The rather bizarre manifestations of the syndrome including involuntary movements and utterances can make an intelligent child a victim of the condition, and adversely affects his schooling and results in social rejection and consequently isolation. Awareness of this condition by the community, educators, and also medical practitioners are necessary to avoid the loss of affected children who can have the potential to be a talented individual in the future. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome has not been described or documented before in Iraq. The aim of this book is to describe the first case of this syndrome in Iraq.