A resident of Providence, Rhode Island, Dr. Robert Kohn is a geriatric psychiatrist who draws on more than four decades of experience in his field. With an MD from the University of Illinois Chicago, Dr. Robert Kohn is also well-versed in family therapy and psychotherapy.
Antipsychotics, a group of psychiatric medications, are used for treating psychosis, which is associated with mental disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and personality disorder, among others. Sometimes, these medications can cause serious side effects called extrapyramidal symptoms.
Extrapyramidal symptoms are triggered by a reduction in the level of a chemical called dopamine in the central nervous system. Extrapyramidal symptoms can manifest as acute or tardive dyskinesias (characterized by erratic muscle spasms in the face and limbs), akinesia (loss of ability to voluntarily move certain muscles in the face, hands, legs, or other areas), and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (characterized by fever, dysautonomia, body rigidity, and mental status change), among other similar symptoms.
Extrapyramidal symptoms sometimes stem from non-antipsychotic drugs. Clinicians must identify the exact cause of the symptoms to determine the appropriate treatment.
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