Is melatonin treatment effective for tardive dyskinesia?
Shamir E; Barak Y; Plopsky I; Zisapel N; Elizur A; Weizman A Day Hospitalization Department, Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Bat Yam, Israel. BACKGROUND: Tardive dyskinesia is a severe and disabling side effect of conventional antipsychotic treatment, with incidence rates reaching a high of 50% in chronically institutionalized populations. On the basis of recent studies showing some benefit of antioxidants, we evaluated the effect of melatonin, the most potent naturally occurring antioxidant, on tardive dyskinesia in patients with chronic schizophrenia. METHOD: Nineteen patients (8 men, 11 women), aged a mean +/- SD 74.0+/-9.5 years with chronic DSM-IV schizophrenia of 31.3+/-7.0 years’ duration, were randomly assigned in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to receive slow-release melatonin, 2 mg/day, or placebo for 4 weeks. After a 2-week washout period, the patients were switched to the other treatment arm for an additional 4 weeks. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement S
