Aripiprazole in children and adolescents with Tourette's disorder: an open-label safety and tolerability study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to conduct a prospective safety and tolerability study of aripiprazole for the treatment of tics in children and adolescents with Tourette's disorder (TD).


METHODS
Eleven subjects (10 males) with TD (age 9-19 years, mean 13.36, standard deviation [SD] 3.33) who did not respond or were unable to tolerate previous tic medication were treated with aripiprazole in an open-label, flexible-dosing study over 10 weeks. Tic severity was rated using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the Clinical Global Impressions Scale for tics (CGI-Tics) at baseline and at follow-up.


RESULTS
The mean (+/-SD) daily dose for aripiprazole was 4.5 +/- 3.0 mg. Mean (+/-SD) YGTSS Global Severity scores reduced from 61.82 +/- 13.49 at baseline to 33.73 +/- 15.18 at end point; mean YGTSS total tic scores reduced from 28.18 +/- 7.74 at baseline to 16.73 +/- 7.54 at end point. Mean (+/-SD) CGI-Tic severity scores reduced from 4.45 +/- 0.52 (moderate-marked) at baseline to 3.18 +/- 0.60 (mild) at end point. On the CGI-Tic improvement scale, 10 (91%) subjects achieved 1 ("very much improved") or 2 ("much improved") at end point. Most common adverse effects included appetite increase and weight gain in 5 subjects, mild extrapyramidal effects in 7 subjects, and headaches and tiredness/fatigue in 7 subjects; 1 subject experienced akathisia and muscle cramps.


CONCLUSIONS
Aripiprazole appears to be a safe and tolerable treatment in children and adolescents with TD that appears to reduce tics; it should be further investigated as a treatment option in controlled trials.
Lyon
Gholson J
GJ
New York University Child Study Center, New York, New York 10016, USA.
Samar
Stephanie
S
Jummani
Rahil
R
Hirsch
Scott
S
Spirgel
Arie
A
Goldman
Rachel
R
Coffey
Barbara J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015363:Quinolones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020323:Tics / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D011388:Prolactin