Sodium Oxybate Beneficial for Alcohol-Responsive Laryngeal Dystonia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 27, 2024 -- Sodium oxybate improves symptoms of alcohol-responsive (EtOH-positive) isolated laryngeal dystonia (LD), according to a study published online Nov. 20 in the Annals of Neurology.
Kristina Simonyan, M.D., Ph.D., from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues examined the efficacy and safety of sodium oxybate versus placebo in a phase 2b randomized, crossover clinical trial involving patients with isolated LD. The study was conducted in 106 patients with EtOH-positive and alcohol-non-responsive (EtOH-negative) LD who were randomly assigned to receive 1.5 g sodium oxybate first or matching placebo first (53 each). The change from baseline in LD symptom severity 40 minutes after drug intake was assessed as the primary outcome.
The researchers found that EtOH-positive but not EtOH-negative patients had a significant improvement in LD symptoms following sodium oxybate versus placebo compared with baseline. In EtOH-positive patients, statistically significant minimum drug efficacy was found at ≥16 percent symptom improvement (odds ratio, 2.09), with an average benefit of 40.81 percent. By 300 minutes after intake, drug efficacy waned, without a rebound. There were no changes in cognitive function, suicide, or vital signs. Mild dizziness, nausea, and daytime sleepiness were common adverse events.
"Our findings suggest that sodium oxybate can be taken on an as-needed basis, such as before work or a social event, so patients can tailor treatment to their own daily needs and get in control of their symptoms," Simonyan said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
CRC as First of Multiple Primary Malignancies Tied to Better Outcomes Than CRC as Only Malignancy
THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 -- Compared with colorectal cancer (CRC) presenting as an isolated primary or second primary malignancy, CRC presenting as the first of multiple primary...
Two-Hour Observation Probably Safe for Most Children With Anaphylaxis
THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 -- For most children who present to an emergency department with an acute allergic reaction requiring epinephrine, a two-hour observation period is...
CT Perfusion and CT Angiography Not Useful as Standalone Tests for Establishing Death by Neurologic Criteria
THURDAY, June 26, 2025 -- Neither computed tomography (CT) perfusion nor CT angiography meet the prespecified validation threshold as an ancillary test for death by neurologic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.