Osman A A, Khurasani M H
King Fahd Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Br J Psychiatry. 1994 Oct;165(4):548-50. doi: 10.1192/bjp.165.4.548.
Lethal catatonia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) have been suggested to have a common neurochemical cause. We hypothesise that both conditions may be due to a sudden and massive blockade of dopamine neurotransmitters.
NMS was diagnosed in psychotic in-patients treated with neuroleptics if four features were present: diffuse severe rigidity, altered level of consciousness, hyperpyrexia and autonomic instability.
Over three years, five NMS cases were diagnosed. Two presented with catatonic features and were diagnosed as acute reactive psychosis. Their neuroleptic doses were small, arguing for a particular sensitivity in these two cases.
The sensitivity of two patients with catatonic features who developed NMS with small doses of neuroleptics supports a common neurochemical basis for the two conditions.
致死性紧张症和抗精神病药恶性综合征（NMS）被认为有共同的神经化学病因。我们推测这两种情况可能是由于多巴胺神经递质的突然大量阻断所致。
如果精神病住院患者出现以下四个特征，则诊断为NMS：弥漫性严重僵硬、意识水平改变、高热和自主神经功能不稳定。
在三年多的时间里，共诊断出5例NMS病例。其中2例表现出紧张症特征，被诊断为急性反应性精神病。他们使用的抗精神病药剂量较小，说明这两例具有特殊敏感性。
两名具有紧张症特征的患者在使用小剂量抗精神病药后发生NMS，这支持了这两种情况有共同神经化学基础的观点。
