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Risperidone as a treatment for Tourette's syndrome
1Cornell University Medical School, New York, N.Y., USA.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Risperidone shows promise for treating Tourette's syndrome symptoms. In a trial, 58% of patients improved after 4 weeks, though some experienced side effects, suggesting it as an alternative to traditional therapies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary motor and vocal tics.
- Conventional treatments for Tourette's syndrome include neuroleptics and alpha 2-adrenergic agonists.
- Some patients do not respond adequately to or experience intolerable side effects from conventional treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy and safety of risperidone for Tourette's syndrome.
- To evaluate risperidone as an alternative treatment option for patients with Tourette's syndrome.
Main Methods:
- An open-label trial involving 38 patients with Tourette's syndrome.
- Patients received risperidone for 4 weeks after failing conventional treatments or experiencing side effects.
- Tic severity was measured using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) before and after treatment.
Main Results:
- 58% of patients (22 out of 38) showed improvement in tic symptoms.
- 18% of patients (7 out of 38) had no significant change in symptoms.
- 8 patients discontinued treatment due to intolerable side effects.
Conclusions:
- Risperidone may be a viable alternative medication for managing Tourette's syndrome symptoms.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the long-term efficacy and safety profile of risperidone in Tourette's syndrome.