Time and the Tic Disorder Triad

The etiology of Tourette syndrome, a common neurodevelopmental condition, is still largely unknown. Many questions remain–about the unitary nature of the syndrome, and the criteria used to define it in internationally accepted manuals. Meanwhile, individuals and families affected by Tourette's remain under-serviced, as pharmacological and behavioral therapies provide relief for some but not all who need support. We urgently need new impulses and approaches capable of advancing the field. It is time to ask: What tacitly operating theoretical concepts underlie this work? And how do they impact approaches to nosology and treatment? This article re-examines the scholarship by focusing on one philosophical concept central to tic nosology: time or, more specifically, clock time (homogenous, chronological, and objectified time). It argues that a fuller, more nuanced look at the temporality of tics could open new doors to phenotyping and classification.