NEUROMUSCULAR EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM PHENOTHIAZINE MEDICATION, ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY AND LEUCOTOMY

Abstract
In a mental hospital 488 chronic patients were observed for 3 kinds of abnormal movements: Parkinsonism, akathisia, and facial dyskinesia. Seventy-four patients exhibited these movements. Of the 74, 63 belonged to a group of 371 patients who had received long-term phenothiazine therapy; the remaining 11 belonged to a group of 117 patients who had not. They were compared with respect to sex, age, dose and duration of therapy with major tranquilizers, ECT [electroconvulsive therapy] and leucotomy. Statistical analysis of the results showed that abnormal movements were related to age but not to sex, ECT or leucotomy; it showed that Parkinsonism was related to long-term phenothiazine therapy but that akathisia and facial dyskinesia were not.

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