Hemiballismus-hemichorea treated with dimethylaminoethanol.

An elderly lady with subacute onset of disabling hemiballismus experienced sustained remission on dimethylaminoethanol 150 mg/day. Two exacerbations followed interruption of therapy. Remission followed resumption of therapy. No undesirable side effects occurred with this treatment. A lady age 85 experienced a very favorable sustained reduction of hemiballismus when treated with dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE or Deanol). Her age and hypertension made the risk of thalamotomy unacceptably high. DMAE was tried because of reports of reduction of chorea, and other dyskinesias with this drug.