Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T21:55:47.409Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An Extrapyramidal Syndrome after Lithium Therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

P. Tyrer ,
M. S. Alexander ,
Adrienne Regan  and
I. Lee
P. Tyrer
Affiliation:
University of Southampton (now Consultant Psychiatrist, Mapperley Hospital, Nottingham NG3 6AA)
M. S. Alexander
Affiliation:
University of Southampton
Adrienne Regan
Affiliation:
Knowle Hospital, Fareham, Hants
I. Lee
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Two patients developed an extrapyramidal syndrome after therapy with lithium carbonate. Although the clinical features of this syndrome were indistinguishable from those of drug-induced parkinsonism, it was made worse by the anti-parkinsonian drug, orphenadrine. These findings were reproduced later under laboratory conditions when extrapyramidal symptoms and physiological tremor were recorded before and after challenge doses of orphenadrine. This unwanted effect of lithium carbonate may be explained by selective blockade of dopamine receptors.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 136 , Issue 2 , February 1980 , pp. 191 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1980 

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.)

References

Baastrup, P. C., Hollnagel, P., Sørensen, R. & Schou, M. (1976) Adverse reactions in treatment with lithium carbonate and haloperidol. Journal of the American Medical Association, 236, 2645–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Branchey, M. H., Charles, J. & Simpson, G. M. (1976) Extrapyramidal side effects in lithium maintenance therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 444–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Brandon, S., McClelland, H. A. & Protheroe, C. (1971) A study of facial dyskinesia in a mental hospital population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 171–84.Google Scholar
Cohen, W. J. & Cohen, N. H. (1974) Lithium carbonate, haloperidol and irreversible brain damage. Journal of the American Medical Association, 230, 1283–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Collins, P., Lee, I. & Tyrer, P. (1979) Finger tremor and extrapyramidal side effects of neuroleptic drugs. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 488–93.Google Scholar
Dalen, P. (1973) Lithium therapy in Huntington's chorea and tardive dyskinesia. Lancet, i, 107–8.Google Scholar
Ehrensing, R. H. (1974) Lithium and MRIH in tardive dyskinesia. Lancet, ii, 1459–60.Google Scholar
Friedman, E. & Gershon, S. (1973) Effect of lithium on brain dopamine. Mature, 243, 520–1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnels, B., Wallin, L. & Wålinder, J. (1976) Extrapyramidal side effects of lithium treatment. British Medical Journal, ii, 642.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kane, J., Rifkin, A., Quitkin, F. & Klein, D. F. (1978) Extrapyramidal side effects of lithium treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 851–3.Google Scholar
Kebabian, J. W. & Calne, D. B. (1979) Multiple receptors for dopamine. Nature, 277, 93–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loudon, J. B. & Waring, H. (1976) Toxic reactions to lithium and haloperidol. Lancet, ii, 1088.Google Scholar
Simpson, G. M. & Angus, J. W. S. (1970) Drug induced extrapyramidal disorders—a rating scale for extrapyramidal side effects. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Supplement 212, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.