| Abstract | Clozapine (CZP) is an atypical antipsychotic drug that does not appear to block striatal dopamine receptors. In six patients who met the criteria of HIV-associated psychosis and who had previously developed moderate parkinsonism as a result of the use of typical neuroleptic agents, CZP was added in an open, rising dose study. Subjects were evaluated at baseline after at least 7 days without neuroleptic drugs and then monthly for 3 months of the experimental treatment using three rating scales: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and motor examination of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). A significant reduction in psychopathology as represented in the BPRS total score (54.2 at baseline versus 23.9 at month 3) and CGI (2 and 8, respectively) was obtained with a mean CZP dose of 27.08 mg/day. Parkinsonism also improved by an average of 76.5% at the end of the study. One patient did not complete the study as a result of a progressive decrease in leukocyte count while on CZP. These preliminary results suggest that the pharmacologic properties of CZP may be of value in the management of HIV-psychotic patients. |
| Authors | G Lera, J Zirulnik
(Affiliation: Neurology Unit, Juan A. Fernández Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.)
|
| Journal | Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society
(Mov Disord)
Vol. 14
Issue 1
Pg. 128-31
(Jan 1999)
ISSN: 0885-3185 UNITED STATES |
| PMID | 9918355
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
|
| Chemical References |
- Antipsychotic Agents
- Clozapine
|
| Topics |
- AIDS Dementia Complex
(diagnosis, drug therapy)
- Adult
- Antipsychotic Agents
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Clozapine
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, Cognitive Disorders
(diagnosis, drug therapy)
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Neurologic Examination
(drug effects)
- Parkinson Disease, Secondary
(chemically induced, diagnosis, drug therapy)
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
|
