title: Yokukansan (TJ-54) for treatment of very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: an open-label study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although schizophrenia affects all age groups, late or very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis has not been well studied, and various treatment issues remain unresolved. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of yokukansan (TJ-54), Japanese herbal medicine, monotherapy in a diagnostically homogenous group of elderly patients without cognitive impairment suffering from very-late-onset schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients of mean age 73.1±4.8 years, fulfilling both the recent consensus criteria for very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis and the DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia, were assessed by the brief psychiatric rating scale, the clinical global impression scale-severity, and positive and negative syndrome scale at baseline and after 4 weeks administration of TJ-54 (2.5-7.5 g/day). In addition, abnormal movements were evaluated with the Simpson-Angus scale, Barnes Akathisia scale, and abnormal involuntary movement scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A highly significant (p<0.001) improvement on all measures of psychotic symptomatology was observed in all patients. TJ-54 was very well tolerated by the patients, and no clinically significant adverse effects were observed. Scores on all abnormal movement scales did not differ significantly prior to and after TJ-54 treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary results indicate that TJ-54 appears to be an efficacious and safe herbal medicine for treatment of very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan. miyanyan@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
authors: Tsuyoshi
authors: T
authors: Miyaoka
authors: Rei
authors: R
authors: Wake
authors: Motohide
authors: M
authors: Furuya
authors: Kristian
authors: K
authors: Liaury
authors: Masa
authors: M
authors: Ieda
authors: Kazunori
authors: K
authors: Kawakami
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Tsuchie
authors: Michiyo
authors: M
authors: Fukushima
authors: Kotomi
authors: K
authors: Ishihara
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Araki
authors: Sadayuki
authors: S
authors: Hashioka
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Horiguchi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D028321:Plant Preparations; C524644:Yi-Gan San