title: Ondansetron treatment in patients with Tourette's syndrome.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Tel-Aviv Community Mental Health Centre and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Hatayassim, Israel.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toren
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laor
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolmer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017294:Ondansetron