Withdrawal-Emergent Dyskinesia Related to Benztropine: A Case Report.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Benztropine is an anticholinergic drug used as a therapy for Parkinson's disease and treatment for extrapyramidal side effects. While tardive dyskinesia is an involuntary movement disorder that often occurs gradually after long-term use of medications, it does not commonly present acutely.

CASE PRESENTATION:

A 31-year-old White woman experiencing psychosis presented with spontaneous, acute-onset dyskinesia induced with the withdrawal of benztropine. She had been followed in our academic outpatient clinic for medication management and intermittent psychotherapy.

DISCUSSION:

The pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia is not fully understood, but several hypotheses exist, including the involvement of changes in basal ganglia neuronal systems. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to document acute-onset dyskinesia associated with the withdrawal of benztropine.

CONCLUSION:

his case report, which describes an atypical response to discontinuing benztropine, might offer the scientific community potential clues to better understand the pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia.

• Authors: Sharadhi Thalner, Himanshu Agrawal
• Journal: WMJ : official publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin (WMJ) Vol. 122 Issue 2 Pg. 143-145 (May 2023) ISSN: 2379-3961 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 37141483 (Publication Type: Case Reports)
• Copyright: Copyright© Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc.

Chemical References

• Benztropine
• Antipsychotic Agents

Topics

• Female
• Humans
• Adult
• Benztropine (adverse effects)
• Tardive Dyskinesia (chemically induced, complications, drug therapy)
• Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced (etiology, drug therapy)
• Antipsychotic Agents (therapeutic use)