Two of the 24 patients failed to improve on the CGI scale. The patients in the study received mecamylamine at doses ranging from 2.5 mg to 5 mg daily. Case studies are detailed in the article. Tourette Syndrome is an inherited neurobiological disorder that affects as many as 200,000 people in the United States of all races and ethnic groups. Onset usually appears between the ages of five and 18.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and often decrease with age.
In addition, children with TS often suffer from attention or behavioral disorders. Mecamylamine HCl, whose brand name is Inversine , was developed by Merck and Co. in the 1950s as a ganglionic blocker to treat hypertension. As newer agents became available, Merck discontinued supplying the U.S. market in 1996. The current study began in 1997, when mecamylamine was no longer being manufactured by Merck, but researchers were able to obtain a supply for clinical use. Previous studies of the nicotine patch to treat TS led researchers to the medication, which is a nicotinic receptor antagonist.