A study of chorea after tetrabenazine withdrawal in patients with Huntington disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess tetrabenazine (TBZ) efficacy by evaluating the change in Huntington disease-associated chorea resulting from TBZ treatment withdrawal.


METHODS
Thirty patients treated in the long term were randomized to 1 of 3 groups assigned to withdraw from TBZ in a double-blind, staggered fashion during a 5-day period.


RESULTS
The chorea scores of subjects withdrawn from TBZ treatment increased by 5.3 units from days 1 to 3, whereas the scores of the group with partial or no withdrawal of TBZ treatment increased by 3.0 units (P = 0.0773). A post hoc analysis of the linear trend was positive for reemergent chorea (P = 0.0486). No serious adverse events were reported after abrupt withdrawal of TBZ treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The trend for reemergence of chorea in patients with Huntington disease who were withdrawn from TBZ treatment is consistent with the findings from previous studies, thus showing the effectiveness of TBZ in reducing chorea.
Frank
Samuel
S
Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. samfrank@bu.edu
Ondo
William
W
Fahn
Stanley
S
Hunter
Christine
C
Oakes
David
D
Plumb
Sandra
S
Marshall
Frederick
F
Shoulson
Ira
I
Eberly
Shirley
S
Walker
Francis
F
Factor
Stewart
S
Hunt
Vicki
V
Shinaman
Aileen
A
Jankovic
Joseph
J
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002819:Chorea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013747:Tetrabenazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D028761:Withholding Treatment
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D013747:Tetrabenazine