The Suppression of Involuntary Movements with Tetrabenazine

Thirty-one patients with a variety of extrapyramidal disorders were treated with tetrabenazine in doses of 25 to 250 mg. daily for periods varying from 2 weeks to 15 months. Clinical assessment of the patients' disability before and after treatment has confirmed that tetrabenazine effectively suppresses choreiform and ballistic involuntary movements, particularly those associated with Huntington's chorea and cerebrovascular disease. Side effects were encountered frequently and a controlled study in which tetrabenazine is compared with other active drugs is now desirable.