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Botulinum toxin for simple motor tics: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial
1Toronto Western Hospital Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Centre, Ontario, Canada.
Neurology
|March 14, 2001
Summary
Botulinum toxin injections significantly reduced simple motor tics and the urge to tic. However, patients did not perceive an overall improvement, highlighting the need to assess tic-related disability before treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Previous case series suggested botulinum toxin efficacy for tics.
- Unblinded assessments indicated improvements in tic frequency and urge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin in treating simple motor tics.
- To compare botulinum toxin with placebo in a double-blind, crossover study.
Main Methods:
- Randomized, double-blind, crossover design comparing botulinum toxin and placebo.
- Primary outcome: reduction in treated tics per minute.
- Secondary outcomes: untreated tics, tic severity, urge, premonitory sensation, and global impression.
Main Results:
- Botulinum toxin resulted in a 39% reduction in treated tics per minute (p=0.0007).
- A significant reduction in the urge to perform tics was observed with botulinum toxin (p=0.02).
- No significant differences were found in other secondary outcome measures.
Conclusions:
- Botulinum toxin effectively reduces simple motor tic frequency and associated urge.
- Patients did not report overall benefit, suggesting targeted tic disability assessment is crucial.
- Further research may be needed to optimize treatment strategies for tics.