Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ziprasidone in children and adolescents with Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorders. Method: Twenty-eight patients aged 7 to 17 years were randomly assigned to ziprasidone or placebo for 56 days. Ziprasidone was initiated at a dose of 5 mg/day and flexibly titrated to a maximum of 40 mg/day. Results: Ziprasidone was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the Global Severity (p = .016) and Total Tic (p = .008) scores on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Compared with placebo, ziprasidone significantly reduced tic frequencies as determined by blind videotape tic counts (p = .039). The mean (±SD) daily dose of ziprasidone during the last 4 weeks of the trial was 28.2 ± 9.6 mg. Mild transient somnolence was the most common adverse event. No clinically significant effects were observed on specific ratings of extrapyramidal symptoms, akathisia, or tardive dyskinesia. Conclusions: In this limited sample, ziprasidone (5-40 mg/day) appears to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of Tourette's syndrome. Ziprasidone may be associated with a lower risk of extrapyramidal side effects in children. However, additional studies are necessary to evaluate more fully its safety and efficacy in children with tic disorders.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 292-299 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2000 |
Keywords
- Antipsychotic agents
- Tics
- Tourette's syndrome
- Ziprasidone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health