Last month, Scottish singer and songwriter Lewis Capaldi announced an indefinite break from touring to focus on his health following a Glastonbury Festival performance where his fans joined in when his Tourette’s symptoms took over. During the emotional show, Capaldi’s voice faltered, but the crowd encouraged him to keep going, singing with him.
After the concert, Capaldi announced his hiatus in an Instagram post, stating, “I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come."
Capaldi’s public struggle has shone a light on the often-misunderstood disorder, which Alex Baumgartner, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, recently discussed. Baumgartner answers questions below about the syndrome, including about treatment and its media portrayal.