Xenazine in Late Dyskinetic Syndrome With Neuroleptics

Plain-language summary

Late dyskinetic syndrome with neuroleptics, or tardive dyskinesia, is the appearance of abnormal involuntary movements (AIM) in patients treated with antipsychotics for at least three months. This important public health issue arises for 15-20% of patients treated with neuroleptics, the most prescribed psychotropic drugs in mental disorders in France, and seriously impacts the patients' quality of life. In over 50% of cases, it is irreversible-that is to say that he will persist despite discontinuation of the offending drug. Risk factors have been described: the age and female gender are established, a higher dosage of antipsychotic, a long-term treatment, a psychiatric condition other than schizophrenia are likely risk factors, intermittent treatment, previous acute dyskinesia, neuroleptics or powerful, longer term use of corrective treatments including anticholinergics are still discussed. Apart from preventive treatment, which consists in using antipsychotics as being coerced, support is disappointing: the etiological treatment, which is to stop the offending antipsychotic, is effective only in less than 50% of cases, the syndrome is most often late irreversible. Must still have the possibility to interrupt the treatment, which is usually impossible in the risk of decompensation of the mental illness for which the neuroleptic was prescribed. Remains symptomatic treatment: functional neurosurgery is only for extreme cases, because it is not without risk, in terms of morbidity and mortality. So it's the medication that is most often offered: many drugs have been proposed, a direct result of the multiplicity of neurotransmitter systems implicated. However, in the vast majority of cases, this approach is disappointing not to say ineffective. The only exception is the tetrabenazine, marketed under the name of Xenazine®. Empirically, neurologists specializing in pathology of the movement are almost unanimous: its efficiency is very good, with good tolerance. Some preliminary studies have reinforced this impression. However, their level of evidence remains low and that is why the investigators propose to implement a prospective multicenter clinical trial, double-blind with placebo which will include two groups of 27 patients.

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