This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of baclofen for the treatment of tics in children with Tourette syndrome (TS).
Background: Baclofen, which contains both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and phenylethylamine moieties, was suggested in an open-label protocol to be an effective treatment for TS. This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate this medication in children with TS.
Methods: Subjects received, in a randomized sequence, 4-week medication cycles of baclofen (20 mg three times daily) and placebo with a 2-week intervening washout period between the cycles. Outcome measures included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, and the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the latter including subscales for total tics and overall impairment. Measures were assessed at baseline and on days 28, 42, and 70 of the study.
Results: Ten children (seven boys and three girls, aged 8 to 14) with TS participated. Nine subjects completed the protocol; one dropped out for psychosocial reasons. No major side effects were reported. The mean change in CGI score (−0.9) after 4 weeks of baclofen treatment as compared with placebo treatment showed a significant improvement (95% CI, −1.7 to −0.1; p = 0.04). All subjects showed some amelioration in total YGTSS score during baclofen treatment. The mean change in total YGTSS score (−14.7) approached significance (95% CI, −30.3 to 0.9; p = 0.06). Examination of differences between baclofen and placebo treatment groups expressed as a percent change from baseline showed that baclofen had a statistically significant effect on both outcome measures. Subscales of the YGTSS showed that the reduction in total tic scores was primarily due to a reduction in the impairment score rather than a decrease in tics.
Conclusions: Children with TS may benefit from treatment with baclofen, although improvements may be related to factors other than tics. Larger studies directly comparing baclofen against other tic-suppressing agents are recommended.
- Received August 18, 2000.
- Accepted November 21, 2000.
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Hastening the Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Dr. Brian Callaghan and Dr. Kellen Quigg
► Watch
Alert Me
Recommended articles
A multicenter examination and strategic revisions of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale
Atomoxetine treatment in children and adolescents with ADHD and comorbid tic disorders
A placebo-controlled trial of risperidone in Tourette syndrome
A controlled trial of deprenyl in children with Tourette's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder