Benefits and Risks of Prescribing Long-Term Use of Anticholinergic Agents in Schizophrenic Patients on Antipsychotics

1993 ◽  
Vol 163 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Adams ◽  
R. E. Kendell ◽  
E. H. Hare ◽  
P. Munk-Jørgensen

The epidemiological evidence that the offspring of women exposed to influenza in pregnancy are at increased risk of schizophrenia is conflicting. In an attempt to clarify the issue we explored the relationship between the monthly incidence of influenza (and measles) in the general population and the distribution of birth dates of three large series of schizophrenic patients - 16 960 Scottish patients born in 1932–60; 22 021 English patients born in 1921–60; and 18 723 Danish patients born in 1911–65. Exposure to the 1957 epidemic of A2 influenza in midpregnancy was associated with an increased incidence of schizophrenia, at least in females, in all three data sets. We also confirmed the previous report of a statistically significant long-term relationship between patients' birth dates and outbreaks of influenza in the English series, with time lags of - 2 and - 3 months (the sixth and seventh months of pregnancy). Despite several other negative studies by ourselves and others we conclude that these relationships are probably both genuine and causal; and that maternal influenza during the middle third of intrauterine development, or something closely associated with it, is implicated in the aetiology of some cases of schizophrenia.


1997 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 108S
Author(s):  
S. Bignotti ◽  
G.B. Tura ◽  
G. Rossi ◽  
R. Pioli ◽  
M. Maes ◽  
...  

1978 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 55-56

Neuroleptic drugs cause many forms of extra-pyramidal syndromes. One of these, tardive dyskinesia,1 occurs only after the patient has been taking the drug for some time (‘tardive’ refers to the late onset). The movements are involuntary and repetitive usually involving the face and tongue, but they may also affect the limbs and trunk. Tongue protrusion, licking and smacking of the lips, sucking and chewing movements, grimacing, grunting, blinking and furrowing of the forehead have all been described and attributed to long-continued medication with neuroleptic drugs of the phenothiazine, butyrophenone and thioxanthene groups. The patient can inhibit the movements, but anxiety makes them worse. Many of these symptoms were noticed in schizophrenic patients before neuroleptic drugs were introduced2 and they can occur in otherwise normal untreated elderly people. Nevertheless it is generally accepted that in most cases tardive dyskinesia is an unwanted effect of neuroleptic medication. Despite suggestions to the contrary, the abnormal movements are not necessarily associated with high dosage of neuroleptic drugs or with pre-existing brain damage.3 4 Tardive dyskinesia has been reported in 3–6% of a mixed population of psychiatric patients5 and over half of a group of chronic schizophrenics on long-term treatment.4 The more careful the neurological examination, the greater the apparent incidence.


1986 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 27-28

Dyskinesias are involuntary movements usually of the face and tongue and sometimes of the limbs and trunk. Tardive (delayed) dyskinesia occurs in patients who have been taking an antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drug or, rarely, another central dopamine-receptor-blocking drug such as metoclopramide. It generally occurs only in those treated for longer than a year, although much shorter exposures have been implicated with the antipsychotics. A similar dyskinesia occurred in schizophrenic patients before antipsychotic drugs were introduced, and can occur in healthy untreated elderly people; risk factors include old age, brain damage1 and the schizophrenic disease process.2 Nevertheless, in most patients on an antipsychotic drug (whether psychotic or not), tardive dyskinesia is an unwanted effect of the drug. It occurs in 5–40% of patients on long-term antipsychotic medication.3–5 we discuss here advances in the management of this difficult condition since our last review.6


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akinjola O ◽  
◽  
Lawal RA ◽  
Ojo AM ◽  
Adeosun II ◽  
...  

Schizophrenia is a devastating and highly disabling disorder associated with long-term consequences. Treatment is often made difficult by the presence of comorbidities like depression which when considered in management ensures good outcome. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of depression in schizophrenia. It is a two-phase study involving 320 outpatients recruited by consecutive sampling. The first phase entails confirming diagnosis with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), psychotic disorder module, assessing socio-demographic characteristic and screening for depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) by a trained assistant. In the second phase, the researcher then assesses for depressive disorder using MINI, depressive disorder module among subjects who screened positive with BDI together with 10% of those who screened negative. Over four-fifth (83.4%) of the participants were less than 50 years, they were mostly females (57.2%), of Yoruba ethnic group (59.7%), Christians (75.6%), and earn below ₦18,000 monthly or nothing (72.2%). Also, a large proportion (86.2%) had good social support. Over a third of the participants were married (38.1%) with about four-fifth of these living with their spouses. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and depressive disorder were 49.7% and 38.4% respectively. Logistic regression revealed that poor social support predicts depressive in Schizophrenia. In conclusion, Depression is common in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, thorough evaluation of schizophrenic patients is necessary so that, co-morbid depression when present can be detected and considered in management to ensure good treatment outcome.


1980 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.C. Baastrup ◽  
C. Christiansen ◽  
I. Transbøl

1993 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Vartiainen ◽  
E. Leinonen ◽  
A. Putkonen ◽  
S. Lang ◽  
U. Hagert ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Geetha ◽  
Dr. M. V. Sudhakaran

Schizophrenia is a strict mental disorder affecting about human population. Being chronic and often incapacitating, it extracts tremendous cost from patients, caregivers and society. Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia face stress and emotional hardship and are frequently forced to assume lifelong care-taking roles. Subjective burden refers to the caregivers’ short term and long term reactions to the patient’s symptoms and behaviors, and the care giving task resulting from it. Perceived distress and interpersonal strain are examples. It refers to the extent to which the care giver feels he or she is burdened. This study aims to conducted for analysis the burden and coping among caregivers of schizophrenia. This study conducted with 30 Schizophrenic patients and 30 primary caretakers of the patients, totally 60 samples were studied. The result shows that there is association between burden assessment schedules of caregiver with that of caregivers coping scale. It revealed statistical significance. Low coping score seen in caregiver who had high burden score. Lower burden score seen in caregivers who had high coping level.


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