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A pilot tolerability and efficacy trial of sodium oxybate in ethanol‐responsive movement disorders
Author(s) -
Frucht Steven J.,
Bordelon Yvette,
Houghton William H.,
Reardan Dayton
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.20605
Subject(s) - tolerability , myoclonus , movement disorders , dystonia , medicine , anesthesia , psychology , psychiatry , adverse effect , disease
Sodium oxybate is currently approved in the United States exclusively for the treatment of cataplexy in narcoleptic patients. In a prior article published in this journal, we reported a patient with severe posthypoxic myoclonus whose myoclonus improved with ethanol and also with treatment with sodium oxybate. We extend this preliminary observation to five other patients with ethanol‐responsive movement disorders in an open‐label, dose‐titration, add‐on, 8‐week trial. All five patients (one with severe alcohol‐responsive posthypoxic myoclonus, two with ϵ‐sarcoglycan–linked myoclonus–dystonia, and two with essential tremor) experienced improvement from baseline of 50% or greater as measured by blinded videotape review. Tolerability was satisfactory, with dose‐dependent sedation as the most common side effect. Further studies of this drug in hyperkinetic movement disorders are warranted. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society