title: The effect of vitamin E treatment on tardive dyskinesia and blood superoxide dismutase: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: Free radicals may be involved in the pathogenesis of tardive dyskinesia (TD). Vitamin E, a free radical scavenger, has been reported to improve symptoms of TD. The present study was designed to replicate this finding in a group of Chinese patients with TD, and to examine the effect of vitamin E treatment on blood superoxide dismutase (SOD), a critical enzyme in the detoxification of free radicals. Forty-one inpatients with TD completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of vitamin E. Twenty-two of the patients were randomly assigned to receive a fixed dose of 1200 IU/d vitamin E, and 19 were assigned to a placebo for 12 weeks. Patients were assessed primarily using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) at baseline, weeks 6 and 12. Blood SOD levels were measured by radioimmunometric assay before and after treatment. The results showed that the reduction in AIMS score from baseline was significantly higher with vitamin E treatment compared with placebo (45.9% vs. 4.3%). Blood SOD levels were significantly increased after treatment with vitamin E (P = 0.001), but no change with placebo treatment (P < 0.05). These results support earlier findings of the efficacy of vitamin E in the treatment of TD. Moreover, the efficacy of vitamin E may be due to its ability to increase SOD level, which may reduce oxidative injure in tardive dyskinesia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, 100083 Beijing, China; dagger Beijing Hui-Long-Guan Hospital, 100096 Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiang Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong Feng
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lian Yuan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Chang Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Da Chun
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gui Ying
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002214:Capsules; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002214:Capsules; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D014810:Vitamin E; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase