Ecopipam, an investigational medicine, may improve tic severity scores in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome three months after treatment, according to a new pilot study.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological illness marked by motor and verbal tics, which are uncontrollable urges to make repetitive motions and vocalizations.

“Our results are exciting, because they suggest ecopipam shows promise as a treatment for reducing the number, frequency and severity of the tics young people experience with Tourette syndrome,” says study author Donald L. Gilbert. “That’s especially true because many people with the disease who are taking the medications currently available still have debilitating symptoms or experience weight gain or other side effects.”

The study looked at 149 children and teenagers with Tourette syndrome between the ages of six and seventeen. They were split into two groups: 74 received ecopipam and 75 received a placebo.

At the start of the trial and three months later, researchers used two conventional tic rating scales to assess the severity of participants’ tics. The first test, which has a maximum score of 50, assesses motor and vocal tics. The second test assesses the severity of tic-related impairment as well as total tic symptoms. It can score up to 100 points. More severe symptoms and a negative impact on daily life are indicated by higher scores on either of the tests.

After three months, researchers discovered that those who took ecopipam had fewer and less severe tics and were performing better on both tests.

The subjects who took ecopipam saw a 30% reduction in the intensity of their motor and verbal tics, from 35 to 24. In comparison, those taking placebos saw their tic severity score drop from 35 to 28 during the same time period, a 19% reduction.

Researchers showed that those using ecopipam improved from an average score of 68 to 46, a 32% drop, compared to those taking a placebo, who improved from a score of 66 to 54, a 20% reduction.

Gilbert noticed that 34% of individuals receiving ecopipam had adverse symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, but 21% of those getting placebos did.

“Previous research suggests problems with dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, may be linked to symptoms of Tourette syndrome, and that D1 dopamine receptors play a key role,” Gilbert adds.

“Dopamine receptors are found in the central nervous system. When they receive dopamine, they create signals for various mental and physical functions like movement. Different receptors help control different functions. While ecopipam is still in the testing phase, it is the first drug to target the D1 receptor instead of the D2 receptor, which is the one targeted by medications currently on the market. Our results demonstrate that ecopipam deserves more study as a viable treatment option for Tourette syndrome in young people in the future.”

A limitation of the study is its three-month length. Gilbert noted that although it is standard for this type of study, it will be important to learn if symptom improvements persist longer.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: New treatment shows promise for tics in children, teens with Tourette Syndrome