Risperidone in the Treatment of Tourette’s Syndrome

Grant Type
Clinical
Grant Year
1995
Institution Location
FL
Institution Organization Name
University of Florida
Investigators Name
Goodman, Wayne, MD

This investigation will study the safety and effectiveness of risperidone in Tourette’s syndrome (TS) patients with or without associated obsessive compulsive symptoms. Risperidone is an “atypical” neuroleptic recently marketed in the United States for the treatment of psychotic disorders. It acts on both the dopamine and serotonin brain chemical systems. We believe that risperidone might be effective in the treatment of TS because of its affect on dopamine receptors and proven effectiveness in schizophrenia. Also, risperidone’s binding with serotonin receptors might have advantages over conventional neuroleptics and may include a more favorable side effect profile. Subjects will participate in two 10-week periods of double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment separated by a 2-week washout phase. Each subject will be in the study for a maximum of 27 weeks. The primary outcome measures will be assessed by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale to determine severity of TS, and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale to assess obsessive compulsive symptoms. The study should furnish important information about the effectiveness of risperidone in reducing tics and obsessive compulsive symptoms in outpatients with TS. Moreover, our data may have important implications for the role of brain serotonin/ dopamine interactions in reducing tics and obsessive compulsive symptoms. Wayne K. Goodman, M.D. University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL Award $25,000 Tourette Association of America Inc. – Research Grant Award 1995