A compared study of treating Tourette's syndrome with topiramate

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of topiramate in treating Tourette's syndrome (TS). Methods An open-labeled control study was carried out. Fifty-three patients met the DSV-Ⅳ criteria for TS were involved in the study. Subjects were given 24-week topiramate (50-150 mg/d;35 cases) or haloperidol medication (1.5-6 mg/d;18 cases). The efficacy was assessed with the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the safety with the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) at baseline and at the end of 8th, 24th week of the study. Results Forty-eight subjects completed the study, with 3 in topiramate group and 2 in haloperidol group dropped out. The efficacy in the topiramate group was significantly better than that in control group, with response rates of 72% and 38% respectively after 8-week treatment, and the YGTSS total score was significantly lower in topiramate group compared to haloperidol group (P0. 05). After 24-week treatment, there were more higher response rate (81% vs. 56% ), lower YGTSS total score, and higher reduction rate of YGTSS score in topiramate group than in haloperidol group (all P 0. 05). The adverse reactions in the topiramate group were milder than that in haloperidol both at the end of 8-week and 24-week treatment (P 0. 01). Conclusion It is effective and safe of topiramate in treating Tourette's syndrome.