Yi-gan san for the treatment of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia: an open-label study.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies indicate that the traditional Japanese herbal medicine yi-gan san (YGS, yokukan-san in Japanese), a serotonin modulator, may be safe and useful in treating behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia and borderline personality disorder patients. The authors examined the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of YGS in patients with tardive dyskinesia.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with schizophrenia who had neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia were given 7.5 g/day of YGS for 12 weeks in an open-label study.


RESULTS
Administration of YGS resulted in a statistically significant improvement in tardive dyskinesia and psychotic symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
YGS may be an effective and safe therapy to control tardive dyskinesia and psychosis in patients with schizophrenia, that should be further tested in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Miyaoka
Tsuyoshi
T
Department of Psychiatry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enyacho, Izumo, 693-8501, Japan. miyanyan@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
Furuya
Motohide
M
Yasuda
Hideaki
H
Hayashida
Maiko
M
Nishida
Akira
A
Inagaki
Takuji
T
Horiguchi
Jun
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C524644:Yi-Gan San