The most frequent neurological side effects of the neuroleptics
1. Big picture
Neuroleptics, also called antipsychotics, are drugs used for psychosis, agitation, delirium, mania, severe behavioral disturbance, and sometimes movement disorders such as chorea or severe tics.
Their most important neurological adverse effects are caused by dopamine D2 receptor blockade in the nigrostriatal basal ganglia pathway.
The key exam sentence:
Neuroleptics can cause acute dystonia, drug-induced parkinsonism, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, tardive dystonia, tardive akathisia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, sedation, confusion, seizures, and falls.
The classic exam trap:
Haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and levomepromazine can cause parkinsonism; clozapine usually does not.
2. Definition
Neuroleptics / antipsychotics are drugs that mainly reduce psychotic symptoms by blocking dopamine receptors, especially D2 receptors.
They are divided into:
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