title: An open-label, prospective study of levetiracetam in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of levetiracetam (LEV) for the treatment of tics in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) by means of a prospective, open-label, 12-week study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine patients with TS who received LEV to control their tics were admitted to the study. The authors recorded the following variables: initial status (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale - YGTSS - and the scale of Modified Clinical Global Impression -MCGI), the clinical status at 3 months using the same scales, and clinical/medical impression of improvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients studied was 12 years; 25 males (86%) and 4 females (14%). Participants received 800-2000 mg/day of LEV. Of the 29 patients, 21 children (72%) improved according to YGTSS and MCGI scores. Mean YGTSS Total Tic Score at baseline and after treatment with LEV were 67 and 44, respectively. The statistical analysis confirmed a significant improvement with a p-value of <0.001 on the YGTSS and MCGI. In 3 cases, treatment was suspended due to adverse effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with LEV can constitute a treatment option for tics in patients with TS. Double-blind trials of longer duration are needed in larger samples in order to establish both the benefit, as well as what patients are eligible for treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Quiron Hospital, C/Diego de Velázquez 1, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain. aferjaen@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Jaén
authors.forename: Daniel Martín
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Mayoralas
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Jareño
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calleja-Pérez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam