Biological Psychiatry
Volume 20, Issue 8 , Pages 888-893, August 1985

Gamma-vinyl-GABA treatment of tardive dyskinesia and other movement disorders☆

  • Stephen M. Stahl

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Dr. Stephen M. Stahl, Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, Neuroscience Research Centre, Terlings Park, Eastwick Road, Harlow, Essex CM20 2QR, U.K.
    • Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
    • Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
    • VA-Stanford Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
    • The authors thank the staff of the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center for excellent clinical care, Sue Thiemann for advice on data analysis, and Pamela Elliott for manuscript preparation.
    • ,
  • Joe E. Thornton

      Affiliations

    • Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
    • VA-Stanford Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
    • The authors thank the staff of the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center for excellent clinical care, Sue Thiemann for advice on data analysis, and Pamela Elliott for manuscript preparation.
    • ,
  • Mary L. Simpson

      Affiliations

    • Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
    • VA-Stanford Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
    • The authors thank the staff of the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center for excellent clinical care, Sue Thiemann for advice on data analysis, and Pamela Elliott for manuscript preparation.
    • ,
  • Philip A. Berger

      Affiliations

    • Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
    • VA-Stanford Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
    • The authors thank the staff of the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center for excellent clinical care, Sue Thiemann for advice on data analysis, and Pamela Elliott for manuscript preparation.
    • ,
  • Michael J. Napoliello

      Affiliations

    • Merrell Dow Research Institute, Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2110 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH, USA
    • The authors thank the staff of the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center and the Mental Health Clinical Research Center for excellent clinical care, Sue Thiemann for advice on data analysis, and Pamela Elliott for manuscript preparation.

Received 1 October 1984; received in revised form 12 February 1985

Abstract 

We conducted a single-blind trial of gamma-vinyl-GABA (GVG) in nine patients: seven with tardive dyskinesia, one with Meige syndrome, and one with Tourette syndrome. Five tardive dyskinesia patients completed the entire 11-week study and, as a group, demonstrated significant decreases in dyskinesia scores. Four of these five tardive dyskinesia patients showed clinically evident improvement, with approximately 30% reduction in dyskinetic symptoms. Other patients had no clinical benefit from GVG. Three patients had transient exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms after sudden withdrawal of GVG, and one patient experienced dose-related confusional episodes. Our results suggest that GABAergic drugs may have a role in treating patients with tardive dyskinesia.

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☆ Supported by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration through a Research Advisory Grant and through the Schizophrenia Biologic Research Center at the Palo Alto Veterans Administrations Medical Center; by the NIMH Specialized Research Center Grant MH-30854 to the Stanford Mental Health Clinical Research Center; and by a grant from the Merrell-Dow Research Institute.

PII: 0006-3223(85)90214-8

Biological Psychiatry
Volume 20, Issue 8 , Pages 888-893, August 1985

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