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Related Experiment Videos

Tic reduction with risperidone versus pimozide in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial.

Donald L Gilbert1, J Robert Batterson, Gopalan Sethuraman

  • 1Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences. Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, KS, USA. d.gilbert@cchmc.org

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|January 17, 2004
PubMed
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Risperidone demonstrated superior tic suppression in children compared to pimozide, though it was linked to increased weight gain. Neither medication caused significant electrocardiogram changes.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Tic disorders, such as Tourette's syndrome, significantly impact children's quality of life.
  • Pharmacological interventions are a cornerstone of tic disorder management.
  • Pimozide and risperidone are antipsychotic medications sometimes used for tic suppression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy and safety of pimozide versus risperidone in pediatric patients with tic disorders.
  • To evaluate tic suppression, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, weight gain, and side effect profiles.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind, crossover study involving 19 children and adolescents (aged 7-17) with tic disorders.
  • Participants received 4 weeks of pimozide and 4 weeks of risperidone treatment, separated by a 2-week placebo washout.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Tic severity was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS); ECGs, weight, and side effects were also monitored.

    • Main Results:

    • Risperidone treatment resulted in significantly lower tic severity scores compared to pimozide (p = .05).
    • Greater weight gain was observed with risperidone (1.9 kg) than with pimozide (1.0 kg) over the 4-week periods.
    • No significant ECG changes were noted for either medication; however, 6 participants did not complete the study.

    Conclusions:

    • Risperidone appears more effective than pimozide for suppressing tics in children and adolescents.
    • The enhanced tic suppression with risperidone comes with a trade-off of increased weight gain.
    • Both medications were generally well-tolerated regarding ECG changes, but adherence may be a concern.