Do you notice that your kid’s tics are worse when playing video games?

Like, far worse?

For some kids, the computer/console is the only place where they do tic. But then afterward, they can tic for hours or even days.

Something’s going on there.

Science says tics are caused by the number of neurons floating around in the basal ganglia area of the brain. The basal ganglia is part of the brain’s brakes. In tic disorders, the brakes leak.

Greater use of the prefrontal cortex (the executive control centre) can help regulate the basal ganglia.

Meanwhile, neuroscience links tics to the sensorimotor rhythms (SMR), a brainwave pattern deep in the brain (hypothalamus area) that regulates the senses and muscles. When SMR is too low, the kid’s brain can’t control movement, interpret sensory information, or get a grip on anxiety.

Higher beta brainwaves can help restore balance.

So what do video games do?

For sure, they increase agitation. The more intense the concentration on the game, the more the kid gets sucked right into it. They lose touch with reality as they become one with the game.

Their beta brainwaves decrease.

Their use of their prefrontal cortex decreases.

Somehow the video game activity makes the brakes leak.

But is it the screen, or the video game?

Is it the light or the visuals from the screen interacting with the brain’s neurons, or is it the action and intensity of the game interfering with normal function?

This is an important question.

We know flickering lights can cause all kinds of brain disturbances. But what about nonflicker screens? Can light do it too?

Or does the brain go into a different mode when concentrating on a screen?

We also know that intense activities raise adrenaline, which cuts off a lot of the regular neurochemicals in the brain.

But are all games culprits? What about mild, low-action games like RuneScape? What about educational games?

Is it the act of gaming that does it, or just certain kinds of activity?

Watch this video of a boy ticking in front of his computer.

He’s very honest. And keep in mind that all he is doing is typing and reading on the computer (not playing a game).

Try making a video like this. It could help define exactly what is going on with your kid.

If the games are the cause:

Then you should expect to see tics during

• computer game playing
• Nintendo/Wii game playing
• Gameboy (handheld) game playing

But you should not see it for

• computer reading
• computer typing
• computer video watching
• TV watching

If the screen is the cause:

Then you should expect to see tics during

• computer reading
• computer typing
• computer video-watching
• computer game-playing
• Nintendo/Wii games
• TV watching

But you should not see it for

• Gameboy (handheld) game play (because they don’t have much of a screen)

Remember: tics wax and wane.

For a couple of weeks, there can be lots of tics. Then for a month, there might be none.

It is a good idea to record what changed when the tics reappear. But don’t be discouraged if you can’t pinpoint a cause.

Other things you can do

1. Help your kid become aware when he/she is ticking.

Making a video can help, but it will be distressing, so get full consent first. You can also put up a mirror beside the screen so your kid can check every now and then.

2. Help your kid identify how he/she feels about tics.

You need to help him/her frame it as “no biggie,” just as something to work on. Frustration, embarrassment, and shame are not allies in solving this issue.

3. If computers or games are the big trigger, then you need to make a decision together on how to handle it.

One option is putting the equipment away for six weeks in exchange for other activities.

Good luck on that one. Many ticky kids don’t have outside activities or even a lot of friends.

Another option is a timer limiting exposure, following by a relaxation exercise to blow out any pent-up tension.

4. Get checked out for allergies.

Many parents have reported that pollen, milk, corn, and wheat seem to trigger tic episodes.

Some parents are convinced that mercury exposure is a cause of tics. I am no expert here. Studies in Denmark have shown that tic disorders are on the rise along with autism and hyperactivity disorders. So there is some kind of environmental thing going on, we just don’t know quite what it is.

5. For mild facial tics, devise an alternative tic for the kid to use instead of the real one.

This is a central concept in Habit Reversal Therapy.

If the tic is a grimace, make the alt tic a yawn. Encourage the kid to replace the real tic with the alt tic as it is happening.

This helps increase awareness, gives a measure of control, and helps extinguish the tic.