Vitamin E in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia

In a double-blind placebo controlled trial, the efficacy of Vitamin E in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) was studied in 32 patients. After a two week wash-out phase a baseline (0 week) TD rating was assessed on the tardive dyskinesia rating scale (TDRS). Subsequently, the patients entered a four week treatment phase during which 17 patients received capsules of vitamin E (600 mg) and 15 patients received identical placebo capsules. In the first week the patients received 1 capsule daily which was then increased to two capsules per day from the second to the fourth week. All patients were rated on the TDRS at the end of each week. The baseline TDRS score in the vitamin E group was significantly higher than the placebo group. This was hence adjusted and the results were then subjected to analysis of co- variance. The TDRS score after four weeks treatment was significantly lower in the vitamin E group as compared to the placebo group (p = 0.03).