Vitamin E in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia

Article Abstract:

A frequent side effect of neuroleptic drugs, drugs used to treat a variety of mental disorders, is tardive dyskinesia, a condition of involuntary muscle movement. This adverse effect is often permanent, and no effective treatment has yet been found. Vitamin E has properties that may neutralize the toxic effects that are created by neuroleptics and that then cause tardive dyskinesia. Therefore, it was hypothesized that vitamin E may be a useful treatment for this condition. Also, few side effects result from vitamin E usage; these side effects are usually mild, and include nausea, vomiting, skin rash, and fatigue. A study was performed with outpatients at a mental health clinic who met the criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The study, which lasted 10 weeks, involved eight patients who were tested using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) to assess the extent of their tardive dyskinesia. AIMS tests were again performed after a trial treatment period with vitamin E; a trial using a placebo (an inactive agent) was also conducted. A 30 percent reduction in tardive dyskinesia was recorded in five of the eight patients after treatment with vitamin E. Although these results are preliminary and the sample size was quite small, this indicates that vitamin E was effective in reducing the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia in these patients. The use of vitamin E as a preventive treatment, prior to the development of tardive dyskinesia symptoms, is suggested. Further research is recommended to investigate the role of vitamin E in the mechanism of this disorder. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Vitamin E, Tardive dyskinesia, Drug-induced dyskinesia

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Discontinuation of lithium treatment in remitted bipolar patients: relationship between clinical outcome and changes in sleep-wake cycles

Article Abstract:

Lithium has become the treatment of choice for patients with bipolar disorder (previously called manic depression). In this condition, the patient alternates between the extremes of mania and depression. About 70 percent of patients with bipolar disorder respond to lithium treatment. However, once the efficacy of lithium has been established, there is little data to help the psychiatrist determine when the treatment might be discontinued. A study was conducted to record the responses of four patients during the discontinuation of lithium prophylaxis. The patients wore actigraphs, which are small lightweight electronic devices that record activity both day and night. Two of the four patients remained well after the discontinuation of lithium. The remaining two deteriorated within two weeks. In one case, the deterioration was marked by florid mania; in the other case, various symptoms of mania appeared. Fortunately, both relapsing patients responded well upon resumption of lithium treatment. The two patients who relapsed had significant alterations on the actigraph recordings. These patients experienced less efficient sleep, more disruptions of sleep, and an increased number of transitions between sleep and wakefulness. The two patients who did not relapse after discontinuation of lithium had no changes in actigraph patterns. It may be possible to use actigraph recordings to identify patients who are responding poorly to lithium withdrawal and thus prevent a complete relapse in these individuals. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Bipolar disorder, Lithium, Lithium (Metal), Sleep-wake cycle

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