Vitamin E for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia

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#antipsychotic-agents #dyskinesia-drug-induced #humans #psychotic-disorders #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic

Vitamin E for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia

Soares-Weiser et al., 2011 | Cochrane Database Syst Rev | Meta Analysis

Citation

Soares-Weiser Karla, Maayan Nicola, McGrath John. Vitamin E for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011-Feb-16(2):CD000209. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000209.pub2

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) medication is used extensively to treat people with chronic mental illnesses. Its use, however, is associated with adverse effects, including movement disorders such as tardive dyskinesia (TD) - a problem often seen as repetitive involuntary movements around the mouth and face. Vitamin E has been proposed as a treatment to prevent or decrease TD. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of vitamin E for people with schizophrenia or other chronic mental illnesses who also developed neuroleptic-induced TD. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (March 2010), inspected references of all identified studies for further trials and contacted authors of trials for additional information. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included reports if they were controlled trials dealing with people with neuroleptic-induced TD and schizophrenia who had been randomly allocated to either vitamin E or to a placebo or no intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We independently extracted data from these trials and we estimated risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assumed that people who dropped out had no improvement. MAIN RESULTS: The review now includes 11 poorly reported randomised trials (total 427 people). There was no clear difference between vitamin E and placebo for the outcome of 'clinically relevant improvement in TD' (6 trials, 256 people, RR 0.95 CI 0.89 to 1.02). For the outcome of 'any improvement in TD symptoms', again, we found no clear difference between groups (7 trials, 311 people, RR 0.86 CI 0.75 to 1.00). However, people allocated to placebo showed more deterioration of their symptoms compared with those given vitamin E (5 trials, 98 people, RR 0.38 CI 0.16 to 0.9). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse effects (9 trials, 203 people, RR 1.29 CI 0.51 to 3.24) or leaving the study early (medium term 6 trials, 173 people, RR 1.29 CI 0.72 to 2.3). There is no trial-based information regarding the effect of vitamin E for those with early onset of TD. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Small trials of limited quality suggest that vitamin E may protect against deterioration of TD. There is no evidence that vitamin E improves symptoms of this problematic and disfiguring condition once established. New and better trials are indicated in this under-researched area, and, of the many adjunctive treatments that have been given for TD, vitamin E would be a good choice for further evaluation.

Key Findings

The review now includes 11 poorly reported randomised trials (total 427 people). There was no clear difference between vitamin E and placebo for the outcome of 'clinically relevant improvement in TD' (6 trials, 256 people, RR 0.95 CI 0.89 to 1.02). For the outcome of 'any improvement in TD symptoms', again, we found no clear difference between groups (7 trials, 311 people, RR 0.86 CI 0.75 to 1.00). However, people allocated to placebo showed more deterioration of their symptoms compared with tho

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 427
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced
  • Humans
  • Psychotic Disorders
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Schizophrenia
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamins

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-e

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09