Post-traumatic tics and tetrabenazine treatment: a blinded video assessment

BMJ Case Rep. 2013 Dec 5:2013:bcr2013201676. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-201676.

Abstract

Traumatic head injury is a very rare cause of secondary tic disorders. We add another case by describing, for the first time, the response to tetrabenazine in a blinded video assessment. Our patient had a severe traumatic head injury and subsequently developed tics refractory to various agents including neuroleptics. We assessed tetrabenazine treatment by virtue of patient's impression, the treating neurologist's non-blinded (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) and a second neurologist's blinded assessment (modified Rush Video Scale). The Yale Global Tic Severity Score improved by 24% on 12.5 mg twice daily and 45% on 12.5 mg thrice daily. Subjective improvement was 50% and 70%, respectively. The modified Rush Video scores improved by 21% and 28.5%, respectively. Post-traumatic tourettism can respond to tetrabenazine. The magnitude of benefit though, may be overestimated with open-label observations, thus there is a need for studies examining objectively the effect of tetrabenazine in tic disorders.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic
  • Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / complications*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tetrabenazine / therapeutic use*
  • Tourette Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Tourette Syndrome / etiology*

Substances

  • Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors
  • Tetrabenazine