Discontinuing antiparkinson medication in chronic schizophrenics

Abstract

In a double-blind study of 100 chronic schizophrenic patients, withdrawal of anti-parkinson (AP) medication showed that 44% of the 75 patients who constituted the placebo group (vs. none of the patients on active AP medication) complained strongly of debilitating extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). Another 22.6% (vs. 8.7% of the patients on active AP medication) displayed disturbing psychotic symptomatology related to EPS. The view that AP medication may be safely withdrawn from chronic schizophrenics was discussed.