Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143:706-710
Copyright © 1986 by American Psychiatric Association
Prevention of acute dystonic reactions in patients beginning high- potency neuroleptics [published erratum appears in Am J Psychiatry 1986 Sep;143(9):1204]
RS Winslow, V Stillner, DJ Coons, MW Robison and MW] Robinson MW$[corrected to Robison
The authors performed a prospective double-blind study of 39 inpatients
beginning high-potency neuroleptics. Patients were randomly assigned to a
7-day course of benztropine or placebo in addition to a neuroleptic. Of 17
patients receiving placebo, eight (47%) suffered an acute dystonic
reaction; of 22 patients receiving benztropine, none suffered this
reaction--a highly significant difference. The authors also found minimal
anticholinergic toxicity attributable to the addition of benztropine to the
neuroleptic regimen. These results suggest that an initial 7-day
prophylaxis with benztropine is a high-benefit, low-risk adjunctive
treatment to neuroleptic therapy.
