Usefulness of antiparkinsonian drugs during neuroleptic treatment and the effect of clonazepam on akathisia and parkinsonism occurred after antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal: a double-blind study.

Author(s): Horiguchi J, Nishimatsu O

Affiliation(s): Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.

Publication date & source: 1992-09, Jpn J Psychiatry Neurol., 46(3):733-9.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

Antiparkinsonian drugs used for 117 chronic schizophrenic patients receiving long-term neuroleptic treatment were withdrawn. Seventy-eight (66.7%) of the 117 patients were without akathisia and/or parkinsonism at least for 6 weeks after the antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal. A double-blind study of clonazepam was carried out for 22 patients and clonazepam was effective on 8 patients (100%) with akathisia and on 3 patients (75%) with parkinsonism. The authors conclude that these data support the need for discontinuous use of antiparkinsonian medication during the long-term neuroleptic therapy of chronic schizophrenic patients and the effectiveness of clonazepam in managing antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal-induced akathisia and parkinsonism.