TY - JOUR
T1 - Aripiprazole in the treatment of Huntington's disease
T2 - A case series
AU - Ciammola, Andrea
AU - Sassone, Jenny
AU - Colciago, Clarissa
AU - Mencacci, Niccolò E.
AU - Poletti, Barbara
AU - Ciarmiello, Andrea
AU - Squitieri, Ferdinando
AU - Silani, Vincenzo
PY - 2009/11/24
Y1 - 2009/11/24
N2 - Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the effects of aripiprazole, a new atypical antipsychotic drug that acts as a partial dopamine agonist on motor, behavioral and cognitive functions in patients with genetically confirmed Huntington's disease (HD). Methods and results: Three HD patients were evaluated for Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale part I and II and Beck Depression Inventory at baseline, after two months and one-year treatment. Aripiprazole effectively controlled involuntary movements and psychiatric symptoms, with effects on cognitive functions. Conclusions: Our case reports suggest that aripiprazole is well tolerated, remarkably improving some of the motor and behavioral symptoms in patients affected by HD. Randomized, controlled, long-term studies are warranted.
AB - Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the effects of aripiprazole, a new atypical antipsychotic drug that acts as a partial dopamine agonist on motor, behavioral and cognitive functions in patients with genetically confirmed Huntington's disease (HD). Methods and results: Three HD patients were evaluated for Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale part I and II and Beck Depression Inventory at baseline, after two months and one-year treatment. Aripiprazole effectively controlled involuntary movements and psychiatric symptoms, with effects on cognitive functions. Conclusions: Our case reports suggest that aripiprazole is well tolerated, remarkably improving some of the motor and behavioral symptoms in patients affected by HD. Randomized, controlled, long-term studies are warranted.
KW - Aripiprazole
KW - Chorea
KW - Huntington's disease
KW - Treatment
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M3 - Article
C2 - 19557093
AN - SCOPUS:70449710919
VL - 5
SP - 1
EP - 4
JO - Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
JF - Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
SN - 1176-6328
IS - 1
ER -