BUSPIRONE IN THE TREATMENT OF TARDIVE-DYSKINESIA

Eight patients with mild to severe tardive dyskinesia (TD) were treate d for 12 weeks with buspirone in dosages of up to 180 mg/day in an ope n-label study. Changes in TD severity were assessed by the Abnormal In voluntary Movement Scale. The rater was blind to buspirone dosage. Bus pirone was well tolerated by most subjects. A within-subjects comparis on of pretreatment and posttreatment Abnormal Involuntary Movement Sca le scores revealed a mean improvement of 4.4 (p < 0.01). Improvement w as also observed in neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal side effects su ch as parkinsonism and akathisia. Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale did not change duri ng the 12-week study. The results of this open-label pilot study sugge st that relatively high doses of buspirone may be efficacious in the t reatment of TD.