The disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements and vocalizations is Tourette syndrome. Its symptoms are called tics: sudden, repeated, nonrhythmic movements or sounds that can change in type, frequency, and severity.
For a diagnosis under DSM-5 criteria, a person has multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic, with symptoms beginning before age 18 and lasting at least one year. Tics often start in childhood, may be temporarily suppressible, and can be preceded by an uncomfortable inner urge. Stress and fatigue can make them more noticeable.
A common misconception is that Tourette syndrome usually causes involuntary swearing. That symptom, called coprolalia, occurs in only a minority of people with Tourette syndrome and is not required for diagnosis. Vocal tics can instead involve throat clearing, sniffing, coughing, or repeated sounds.
French neurologist Georges Gilles de la Tourette published an influential description of the condition in 1885. The disorder is associated with genetic and environmental influences, and many children experience a substantial reduction in tic severity during adolescence. Epilepsy, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease have different characteristic neurological patterns.