RESUMEN
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is an adverse effect of long-term neuroleptic use. An effective treatment for TD is needed, especially if chronic neuroleptic therapy is indicated. The treatment of TD in the elderly is not well established. We present here the case of an 81-year-old male with TD who had a significant reduction in dyskinetic and dystonic movements when treated with clonazepam.
Asunto(s)
Antipsicóticos/efectos adversos , Trastorno Bipolar/tratamiento farmacológico , Clonazepam/uso terapéutico , Discinesia Inducida por Medicamentos/tratamiento farmacológico , Discinesia Inducida por Medicamentos/etiología , Moduladores del GABA/uso terapéutico , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Antipsicóticos/uso terapéutico , Trastorno Bipolar/psicología , Distonía/inducido químicamente , Distonía/tratamiento farmacológico , Humanos , Masculino , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Treatment of schizophrenia is often complicated by substance abuse. We report here findings of a retrospective study evaluating readmission rates of patients meeting DSM IV criteria comorbid for schizophrenia and alcohol or drug dependence treated with depot haloperidol or fluphenazine over a 2-year period. During the study period, 14 of the 26 (54%) male veteran patients were admitted to the VAMC, Charleston; 46% of patients met criteria for alcohol, marijuana or cocaine dependence. Patients with alcohol dependence appeared to be at highest risk for hospital admission (p < 0.05). Moreover, patients with alcohol dependence had longer hospital stays (p < 0.05) than patients without alcohol dependence. Marijuana or cocaine dependence was slightly, but not statistically more common among admitted patients. Marijuana or cocaine dependence did not predict length of stay or number of admissions. Alcohol dependence may be an important factor in schizophrenic exacerbation, and may be an important target for treatment.