Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Effects of Amantadine in Drug‐Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Plasma amantadine concentrations were assessed in a series of hospitalized schizophrenic patients receiving this drug during a double-blind trial of amantadine and benztropine in treatment of neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). Mean (.+-. SE) plasma amantadine concentrations were 0.54 .+-. 0.08 .mu.g/ml on day 7 and 0.43 .+-. 0.08 .mu.g/ml on day 14. Overall improvement of EPS was not correlated with plasma level, but improvement in target EPS of rigidity was correlated with plasma amantadine concentration on day 7 (r = 0.75) and day 14 (r = 0.68). There was no evidence that overall improvement in schizophrenic symptomatology was influenced by plasma amantadine concentrations.