Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a disabling, embarrassing and often irreversible iatrogenic movement disorder that can occur in anyone exposed to drugs that block dopamine receptors, including first and second generation antipsychotics and antiemetic agents. There is no way to prevent TD except preventing exposure to the inciting agents and there are no approved symptomatic therapies. Propranolol is an FDA-approved β-blocker with limited data supporting its use as a treatment for TD. The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of propranolol in the treatment of TD in a double-blind, cross-over prospective manner. If propranolol is found to be an effective therapy, it will fulfill a great need in the treatment of TD with a medication that is known to be safe and inexpensive.
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a disabling, embarrassing and often irreversible iatrogenic movement disorder that can occur in anyone exposed to drugs that block dopamine receptors, including first and second generation antipsychotics and antiemetic agents. There is no way to prevent TD except preventing exposure to the inciting agents and there are no approved symptomatic therapies. Propranolol is an FDA-approved β-blocker with limited data supporting its use as a treatment for TD. The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of propranolol in the treatment of TD in a double-blind, cross-over prospective manner. Patients with a diagnosis of TD will be randomized to propranolol or identical placebo. The patients will be treated for eight weeks, complete a one week washout and then crossed over for another eight weeks. Hence, the subjects will be their own controls. Participation in this pilot trial will provide placebo controlled blinded data that will assist in planning a larger phase II trial. If propranolol is found to be an effective therapy, it will fulfill a great need in the treatment of TD with a medication that is known to be safe and inexpensive.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Propranolol is started 10 mg tablet twice per day per oral, two week up-titration to reach a total dose of 20mg per oral four times per day over the first two weeks, then will remain on a stable dose for six weeks.
Identical placebo is started one tablet twice per day per oral, increase over the first two weeks to reach one tablet four times per day, then will remain on this dose for six weeks.
Change in the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score.
AIMS is a rating scale that scores each individual involuntary movement type at different body locations on a five-point anchored scale. For this study, items 1-7 represent the severity portion (rated 0-4) of the scale and will be used as the primary end point. This measure will be completed at the time of the visit by the enrolling physician. In addition, a standardized video documenting the motor portion of the AIMS will be completed at baseline and eight weeks for both segments of the study. These will be placed in a randomized order and scored using the AIMS severity scale by two blinded raters using consensus measures. A comparison of the change in score from placebo to active by the blinded video raters will be the primary outcome measure.
Time frame: Visit 1, 3 4, 6, 7 (up to 18 weeks)
Change in the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) score.
The CGI provides an overall clinician-determined summary measure that takes into account all available information, including a knowledge of the patient's history, psychosocial circumstances, symptoms, behavior, and the impact of the symptoms on the patient's ability to function. The CGI-Severity (CGI-S) asks the clinician one question: "Considering your total clinical experience with this particular population, how mentally ill is the patient at this time?" which is rated on the following seven-point scale: 1=normal, not at all ill; 2=borderline mentally ill; 3=mildly ill; 4=moderately ill; 5=markedly ill; 6=severely ill; 7=among the most extremely ill patients. This rating is based upon observed and reported symptoms, behavior, and function in the past seven days. As symptoms and behavior can fluctuate over a week; the score should reflect the average severity level across the seven days.
Time frame: Visit 1, 3 4, 6 (up to 18 weeks)
Change in the Clinical Global Impression -Improvement (CGI-I) score.
The CGI-Improvement (CGI-I) is similarly simple in its format. Each time the patient is seen after medication has been initiated, the clinician compares the patient's overall clinical condition to the one week period just prior to the initiation of medication use (the so-called baseline visit). The CGI-I score obtained at the baseline (initiation) visit serves as a basis for making this assessment. Only the following one query is rated on a seven-point scale: "Compared to the patient's condition at admission to the project \[prior to medication initiation\], this patient's condition is: 1=very much improved since the initiation of treatment; 2=much improved; 3=minimally improved; 4=no change from baseline (the initiation of treatment); 5=minimally worse; 6= much worse; 7=very much worse since the initiation of treatment."
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Time frame: Visit 3 and 6 (up to 18 weeks)