Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-k7rjm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-08T03:30:42.126Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Successful Treatment of Tardive Dystonia with Clozapine and Clonazepam

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. Shapleske ,
A. P. Mckay  and
P. J. Mckenna
J. Shapleske*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Institute of Psychiatry, London
A. P. Mckay
Affiliation:
St Loman's Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20
P. J. Mckenna
Affiliation:
Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB1 5EF
*
Dr J. Shapleske, Institute of Psychiatry, 103 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Tardive dystonia is an uncommon complication of neuroleptic treatment which is frequently disabling and poorly responsive to treatment.

Method

The case is reported of a 28-year-old patient with schizophrenia who developed severe, generalised tardive dystonia after five years of neuroleptic treatment. Stopping neuroleptic medication and treatment with tetrabenazine, an anticholinergic and a benzodiazepine were ineffective. Treatment with clozapine and then the novel combination of clozapine plus clonazepam was instituted.

Results

Treatment with clozapine alone brought about limited improvement. Addition of clonazepam resulted in virtually complete disappearance of all abnormal movements. This remission has been sustained for nearly two years.

Conclusions

This report adds to two other cases suggesting that the combination of clozapine and clonazepam may be an effective treatment for tardive dystonia.

Information

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 4 , April 1996 , pp. 516 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Blake, L. M., Marks, R. C., Nierman, P., et al (1991) Clozapine and clonazepam in tardive dystonia. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 11, 268–269.Google Scholar
Burke, R. E., Fahn, S., Jankovic, J., et al (1982) Tardive dystonia: late-onset and persistent dystonia caused by antipsychotic drugs. Neurology, 32, 1335–1346.Google Scholar
Lambert, J. S. & Bellnier, T. (1993) Clozapine and tardive dystonia. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 181, 137–138.Google Scholar
Lieberman, J. A., Saltz, B. L., Johns, C. A., et al (1991) The effects of clozapine on tardive dyskinesia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 503–510.Google Scholar
Owens, D. G. C. (1990) Dystonia – a potential psychiatric pitfall. British Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 620–624.Google Scholar
Trugman, J. M., Leadbetter, R., Zalis, M. E., et al (1993) Treatment of severe axial tardive dystonia with clozapine: case report and hypothesis. Neurology, 43 (suppl), A330.Google Scholar
Wojcik, J. D., Falk, W. E., Fink, J. S., et al (1991) A review of 32 cases of tardive dystonia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1055–1059.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.