Ondansetron treatment in patients with Tourette's syndrome

• Published in: International clinical psychopharmacology Vol. 14; no. 6; p. 373
• Main Authors: Toren, P, Laor, N, Cohen, D J, Wolmer, L, Weizman, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.11.1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - complications; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - drug therapy; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Ondansetron - adverse effects; Ondansetron - therapeutic use; Pilot Projects; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Serotonin Antagonists - adverse effects; Serotonin Antagonists - therapeutic use; Tourette Syndrome - complications; Tourette Syndrome - drug therapy; Tourette Syndrome - psychology
• ISSN: 0268-1315
• DOI: 10.1097/00004850-199911000-00008

Ondansetron, a selective 5-HT3 antagonist, may lower mesolimbic dopaminergic hyperactivity. The present open-label pilot study evaluated the effect of ondansetron in Tourette's syndrome. Six Tourette's syndrome men aged 14-48 years resistant to haloperidol participated in the study. Assessments included the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and Tourette's syndrome-Clinical Global Impression (TS-CGI) scale. The maximal ondansetron dosage (8-16 mg per day) was given for 3 weeks. Ondansetron treatment was associated with a significant decrease in the severity of tics. Two patients showed a definite response (score improvement of 40% or more), and two showed a probable response (> 25%). Two patients did not improve. Side-effects were transient and included abdominal pain (n = 5) and constipation (n = 2). Ondansetron may possess anti-tic effects in some Tourette's syndrome patients.