Lewis Capaldi: living with Tourette syndromeTourette syndrome is a neurological or neurodevelopmental condition, it is named after 19th century researcher Gilles de la Tourette.
by The Conversation
24-02-2023 11:05
in Entertainment
Lewis Capaldi. Image: The Conversation.
You might have seen the news fans of singer Lewis Capaldi helped him finish a song at a concert this week, after symptoms of his Tourette syndrome suddenly flared up and temporarily prevented him from performing.
--
So, what is Tourette syndrome and how is it managed?
Lewis Capaldi fans finish song for him as he experiences Tourette s symptoms mid-show. https://t.co/srSFIxpNdG
Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 23, 2023
Here's what you need to know.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: Tanker on FIRE in Pietermaritzburg
--
What is Tourette syndrome? Named after 19th century researcher Gilles de la Tourette, Tourette syndrome is a neurological or neurodevelopmental condition.
It's characterised by tics, which are involuntary movements or vocalisations.
Many people have simple tics, especially children. But the official definition of Tourette syndrome is motor and vocal tics nearly every day over more than 12 months.
--
There are two types of tics: motor tics and vocal tics.
Common motor tics often involve the head and neck. They can include things like:
eye blinking
facial grimacing
jerking the head and neck
mouth movements
shoulder jerks or jerking other parts of the body.
Vocal tics can include:
throat clearing sounds
humming sounds
huffing or grunting
sniffing
high pitched squeals
part of a word or syllable
sometimes whole words or phrases.
Sometimes in more severe cases of Tourette syndrome, people might have more complex tics and more orchestrated sequences of movements. This can include, for example, turning in a certain direction or tapping something a certain number of times. Often it's a sequence that feels right for that person, which they have to complete to relieve tension.
Initially there is what we call a premonitory urge . It's like an itch or the feeling you get before you sneeze. There's a build-up up of tension and it's relieved by the expression of the tic.
Tic People are often able to recognise this feeling prior to the tic and that's an important part of tic management.
Tics usually have onset in childhood, typically in the early primary school years, but occasionally later in life.
Common motor tics often involve the head and neck. Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock Tourette syndrome often runs a frustratingly waxing and waning course. There may be periods where it's not noticed for weeks or even months and then it comes back.
Sometimes tics get worse in response to stress, like the start of a new school term or moving house. Sometimes they get worse for no reason at all.
There can be an element of suggestibility; talking about a tic can bring on that tic.
There's also a degree of suppressibility. People with tics can either subconsciously or consciously suppress them. Kids often don't have many tics at school because they know they might get teased, but after school the parent often sees a lot of tics come flowing out.
People can often camouflage tics. For example, if they have an urge to jerk their arm, they may scratch their chin and transform it into something else. That's often a part of treatment or a method their team may work with them on.
How is it treated? Often we don't need to do anything about Tourette syndrome because it's not causing problems in terms of a person's self-esteem or their broader life. They can still hold a pen or a spoon and it's not affecting their day-to-day function.
Most cases are not severe and the tics don't need any intervention.
But many kids with Tourette syndrome also have other conditions such as ADHD, OCD and anxiety. So if the Tourette syndrome isn't causing harm the paediatrician may be more concerned about treating those issues first.
The marker for Tourette syndrome needing treatment is whether it's bothering the child.
If it is, we consider what we can do about the tics themselves. They are quite hard to treat.
A psychologist will usually work on general anxiety management strategies, as anxiety can be a significant driver of tics.
There is also a treatment strategy known as comprehensive behavioural intervention for tics, which is a dedicated program to help people manage their tics. But it can be difficult to access due to availability.
There are medications for severe cases but they're not very effective at reducing tics and can cause side effects.
"Telling me to shut up is like telling someone with arthritis to stop feeling pain in their joints or telling someone with asthma to take a deep breath."
Thank you Ben for helping to raise TS awareness you are amazing! https://t.co/GUl52jXcp5
via @Chroniclelive#tourettes
Tourettes Action (@tourettesaction) February 20, 2023
Why do some people get Tourette syndrome? We think Tourette is largely genetic.
It's nothing to do with anything the parents have done or the child has done, and it's not caused by anything that happened during pregnancy.
It's not one gene that causes it but rather a combination.
Reducing stigma is key Tourette syndrome is, by nature, a highly stigmatising condition because at the severe end people can do very unusual things and draw attention to themselves, through no fault of their own, which can cause embarrassment.
One thing we can do for kids, if they are able to, is suggest they go to their school with the support of a carer or parent and talk to classmates about their Tourette. They explain what it is and why they can't help it. Often that can lead to more acceptance from other kids.
ALSO READ: Petrol and diesel: Fill up SOON as price hike looms
Most recent headlines
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
Three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System thrusters, supplied by L3Harris Technologies, form the core of Gateway's propulsion system. Pictured i...
16/12/2025
The challenge facing America's defense industrial base is not just about speed - its about rebuilding the foundation that makes speed possible. Our nations ...
16/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/12/2025
SEVILLE, Spain Canal Sur, the public broadcasting service for Andalusia, Spain, has completed a total technology refresh based on Pebble's resilient, softwa...
16/12/2025
NEW YORK Teleprompting hardware provider Telescript International has acquired all software code and intellectual property previously owned by Telescript West. ...
16/12/2025
As cable operators face increased competition from 5G fixed wireless access providers, a new report from Ookla Research finds that T-Mobile is the FWA speed lea...
16/12/2025
Apple has announced a major upgrade to the Apple TV app for device owners outside the Apple ecosystem with news that the Apple TV app for Android now supports G...
16/12/2025
Space42 grows Direct-to-Device partner ecosystem through a Memorandum of Underst...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Emma Appleton, Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson and Jakob Oftebro...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Docu-reality My Korean Boyfriend Gets a Trailer and Premiere D...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Harlem Globetrotters Celebrate 100th Anniversary With New Brand Campaign From Th...
15/12/2025
Top L-R: La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave), Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawe...
15/12/2025
L3Harris will leverage 15 years of experience supporting the E-4B Nightwatch and...
15/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the loss of federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and operational changes, the statewide pub...
15/12/2025
BOULDER, Colo. Public Media Venture Group (PMVG), Venture Technologies Group (VTG), and WQED have completed a multipart agreement that they say will significant...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
How Rivian s Design Puts Drivers First-And Why That Matters Published on Dec 15, 2025 Categories: Business Solutions
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Sha...
15/12/2025
Space42 and Cobham Satcom completed the full range of advanced terminals for the...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
NVIDIA today announced it has acquired SchedMD - the leading developer of Slurm, an open-source workload management system for high-performance computing (HPC) ...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
15/12/2025
Modern workflows showcase the endless possibilities of generative and agentic AI on PCs.
Of many, some examples include tuning a chatbot to handle product-supp...
13/12/2025
Powering Client Growth: Horizon Deepens Nielsen Partnership, Enabling More Effic...
13/12/2025
In a move that will help it offer more flexible and less costly programming options, YouTube TV has announced that it will be launching YouTube TV Plans with mo...
13/12/2025
SINGAPORE Magna Systems has designed, built and completed what is believed to be the first full UHD and IP-based OB truck in Southeast Asia for a Singapore medi...
12/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Everything You Need to Know for Next Week's Big Sho...
12/12/2025
Hailey Gates at the Atropia premiere (photo by George Pimentel / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the elimination of Federal federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and changes in the way they...
12/12/2025
Wisycom and DPA Microphones announce the appointment of Ren Moerch as Group Product Director, Wireless, a strategic leadership role that will guide the combine...
12/12/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, in conjuncture with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technolog...
12/12/2025
Keepit, the vendor-independent, cloud-native data protection provider, today announced a strategic go-to-market relationship in Poland with Ingram Micro, a lead...
12/12/2025
Atomos announced the immediate availability of a new firmware update for its Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX monitor-recorders, unlocking Open Gate 48P RAW recording w...
12/12/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) once again played a critical role in delivering flawless wireless coordination and support at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards a...
12/12/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), together with the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadc...
12/12/2025
DHD audio will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of digital audio production solutions on Booth 321 in Hall B6 at Hamburg Open 2026. The show will b...
12/12/2025
Chaos today announces the release of V-Ray for Blender, update 2, bringing its award-winning rendering technology to even more Blender users by adding support f...
12/12/2025
Lighting specialist UltraLEDs has launched Precision LED Tape, a high-CRI lighting solution designed specifically for professional film, TV, and studio use.
P...
Lewis Capaldi: living with Tourette syndromeTourette syndrome is a neurological or neurodevelopmental condition, it is named after 19th century researcher Gilles de la Tourette.
