Physician experience and perceptions of tetrabenazine for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and Huntington's chorea: a survey of neurologists and psychiatrists.

BACKGROUND

This study assessed neurologists' and psychiatrists' experience with and perceptions of tetrabenazine (TBZ) when treating patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) and Huntington disease (HD)-related chorea.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND

METHODS

Neurologists and psychiatrists from Australia and Israel who manage TD, and neurologists from Australia, Israel, and South Korea who manage HD-related chorea, answered 20-minute anonymous online questionnaires.

RESULTS

A total of 72 neurologists and psychiatrists managing patients with TD and 24 neurologists managing patients with HD-related chorea were included. Among physicians who had experience with TBZ (TD, n = 62; HD, n = 20), most (61%; 80%) were moderately satisfied with TBZ for treatment of TD/HD-related chorea, some were dissatisfied (23%; 10%), and only 17% and 10% were very/extremely satisfied. Additionally, 18% and 25% reported that they were often/almost always unable to titrate TBZ to optimal doses because of side effects and 24% and 15% reported that side effects often/almost always led to TBZ discontinuation.

CONCLUSION

Although most physicians were moderately satisfied with TBZ, they also reported that TBZ side effects prevented reaching optimal clinical effectiveness and often led to discontinuation, suggesting a need for additional effective treatment options with favorable benefit-risk profiles for TD and HD-related chorea.