Tetrabenazine treatment for stereotypies and tics associated with dementia

Stereotypies are frequently reported in frontotemporal dementia. Their pathophysiology and optimal treatment are largely unexplored. The author reports seven cases of marked stereotype in patients with probable frontotemporal dementia who were treated with tetrabenazine, a monoamine inhibitor. All patients had near-complete resolution of stereotypy. Six patients stopped tetrabenazine at some point, with return of their stereotype within 24 hours, which again improved in the four who restarted therapy. Efficacy has not waned over time. Tetrabenazine dramatically improved stereotypies in patients with dementia. This observation could increase understanding of this interesting phenotype.