Usefulness of antiparkinsonian drugs during neuroleptic treatment and the effect of clonazepam on akathisia and parkinsonism occurred after antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal: a double-blind study.

Antiparkinsonian drugs used for 117 chronic schizophrenic patients receiving long-term neuroleptic treatment were withdrawn. Seventy-eight (66.7%) of the 117 patients were without akathisia and/or parkinsonism at least for 6 weeks after the antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal. A double-blind study of clonazepam was carried out for 22 patients and clonazepam was effective on 8 patients (100%) with akathisia and on 3 patients (75%) with parkinsonism. The authors conclude that these data support the need for discontinuous use of antiparkinsonian medication during the long-term neuroleptic therapy of chronic schizophrenic patients and the effectiveness of clonazepam in managing antiparkinsonian drug withdrawal-induced akathisia and parkinsonism.