An intraoral neurocranial vertical distractor appliance provides unique treatment for Tourette's syndrome and resolves comorbid neurobehavioral problems of obsessive compulsive disorder

Abstract

Evidence has existed for many years that individuals with Tourette's syndrome (T.S.) have associated neurobehavioral comorbid disorders. Though these disorders are not necessary to give a definitive diagnosis for Tourette's syndrome, many patients present with clinical signs of additional problems. Many believe that Tourette's is a neuropsychiatric disorder with symptoms originating from the brain or basal ganglia. Some of these coexisting conditions include attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, sleep disorders, and enuresis. We hypothesize that an intraoral device can be utilized to eliminate these associated comorbid neurobehavioral signs and symptoms. Use of this device, called a neurocranial vertical distractor (NCVD), results in the elimination of unwanted neurobehavioral disorders via normally existing trigeminoreticular fibers and tracts (Fig. 1).