A case of neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a mentally retarded adolescent

Reviewing the use of antipsychotic drugs in people with intellectual disability

INTRODUCTION

Antipsychotics are the most widely prescribed drugs in people with intellectual disability even if schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders do not affect more than 3% of such population. Many authors outline the lack of studies on the efficacy of antipsychotics on schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders in people with intellectual disability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The aim of the present study is to review all evidences resulting from international trials selected by Medline, and compare efficacy and side effects of different antipsychotics in people with both intellectual disability and psychotic disorders and/or behavioural disorders.

RESULTS

195 studies were identified; 117 concern traditional antipychotics while 78 new generation ones. If we consider the type of studies, it results that only the 12.8% of all production is represented by meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomised and not controlled trials.

CONCLUSIONS

Randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews would be the golden standard for therapeutical studies; unfortunately they are really few in this field. It is anyway significative that all the studies reported focus on the use of antipsychotics in people with intellectual disability presenting behavioural problems. To increase the validity of these studies it is recommendable to proceed only with well-designed studies, possibly double-blind versus placebo or other medications. There is need to define precise inclusion criteria, precise symptomatological or behavioural targets and adaptative ability assessment, using valid and reliable diagnostic instruments.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome in children and adolescents

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a rare but potentially fatal complication of treatment with antipsychotic medications. Prior to 1994, there was no accepted set of diagnostic criteria. This article presents four adolescents admitted at Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1985 to 1998, illustrating the broad spectrum of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. A review of the pediatric literature is discussed as to the current risk factors, pathogenesis, management, and outcome. Early recognition and supportive and specific treatment of neuroleptic malignant syndrome reduced the morbidity and mortality.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a serious iatrogenic condition. This report reviews the world literature to characterize the syndrome and evaluate factors that promote early detection and effective intervention.

METHOD

The review identified 77 NMS cases (49 males, 27 females, 1 gender unknown); ages ranged from 0.9 to 18 years (mean 14.8 +/- 3.96). Univariate and multiple regression analyses were applied to 38 variables to identify early signs of the disorder, to identify correlates of outcome, and to evaluate treatments.

RESULTS

The duration of NMS spanned from 1 to 119 days. Nine percent of patients died and 20% resolved with serious sequelae. Patients receiving low-potency neuroleptics had a poorer outcome (p = .01). Fever was related to longer duration of illness (p = .03). Anticholinergics and bromocriptine were effective and without fatalities, but dantrolene was not useful in this sample of children and adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Early detection and appropriate interventions appear important in moderating the course and outcome of NMS.

Pediatric psychopharmacotherapy: a review of recent research

In the past 5 years, we have witnessed the continuation of important trends in clinical research that began earlier in the decade. With regard to the treatment of specific disorders in children and adolescents, the most significant developments have been the examination of the tricyclics for the treatment of depression and the initiation of controlled studies for the treatment of Tourette syndrome. Unfortunately, the findings from the depression studies have been uniformly negative, and the results of research on both depression and tic disorders show a relatively high rate of placebo responsivity, which raises nagging questions about the role of case reports and open trials. Another important trend in pediatric psychopharmacotherapy is the search for substitutes for the neuroleptics. Potential candidates include agents such as lithium, naltrexone, fenfluramine, clonidine, and carbamazepine. The most underresearched disorders are a combination of the least common (e.g. schizophrenia, mania) and those that are apparently perceived as less serious (e.g. sleep disorders, certain anxiety disorders). Not surprisingly, the most studied disorder and treatment is hyperactivity and stimulant medication, respectively. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the social implications of the associated symptoms and their response to stimulant drugs, aided greatly by the use of direct observation procedures. Researchers are beginning to attend to the implications of comorbidity for assessing response to medication. There has been additional confirmation of efficacy of stimulant treatment for preschoolers and adolescents. Dose-response issues remain to some extent unresolved, the primary impediments being interpretive misconceptions associated with trend analysis, an overreliance on the syndromal perspective and too little attention to target behaviors and their clinical implications, and the failure to operationalize the minimal effective dose with regard to the normalization and supranormalization of target and collateral behaviors. Disagreement over whether hyperactivity is a learning or a behavior disorder (or both) and what academic underproductivity means clinically and socially is also impeding progress. With regard to developmental disorders, controlled studies indicate that fenfluramine and naltrexone are effective for managing associated symptoms in some individuals. However, given the limited amount of research on these agents, their status as clinically useful palliatives must be considered tentative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Pathogenesis and treatment of neuroleptic malignant syndrome

1. Neuroleptic drugs (antipsychotics) produce numerous side effects which include serious extrapyramidal symptoms consisting of akathisia, dystonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, parkinsonian reactions such as postural abnormality, tremor, akinesia or bradykinesia, rigidity, and tardive dyskinesia. 2. Among the complications of neuroleptic chemotherapy, the most serious and potentially fatal complication is malignant syndrome, which is characterized by extreme hyperthermia, "lead pipe" skeletal muscle rigidity causing dyspnea, dysphagia, and rhabdomyolysis, autonomic instability, fluctuating consciousness, leukocytosis, and elevated creatine phosphokinase. 3. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome should be differentiated from malignant hyperthermia, lethal catatonia, and other pathological states producing some of these same symptoms. 4. In addition to neuroleptics, malignant syndrome has been caused by thymoleptics (antidepressants), metoclopramide (antiemetic), metoclopramide combined with cimetidine, tetrabenazine, overdosage of benzodiazepine, phenelzine, dothiepin and alcohol, and amphetamine. 5. Factors leading to and/or facilitating the emergence of neuroleptic malignant syndromes are reportedly organic brain syndrome, dehydration, exhaustion, external heat load, excessive sympathetic discharge, use of long acting neuroleptics, high doses of neuroleptics, rapid dose titration with neuroleptics, abrupt discontinuation of antiparkinsonism agents, and concurrent lithium therapy. 6. Although, the pathogenesis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome is not understood completely, a blockade of dopaminergic receptors in the hypothalamus, spinal cord and striatum, an alteration of dopaminergic-serotonergic transmission in the body, an enhanced synthesis and action of prostaglandin E1 and E2, and a modification of calcium-mediated signal transduction in the body have been suggested. 7. The treatment of malignant syndrome includes immediate withdrawal of neuroleptic drugs, i.v. infusion of dantrolene, and oral administration of bromocriptine; or alternatively i.v. infusion of dantrolene and the combination of levodopa-carbidopa. 8. Other measures to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of the aforementioned regimens are to include the use of anticholinergic drugs such as benztropine to enhance the effectiveness of bromocriptine, of lorazepam if catatonic symptoms persist, or of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) if psychotic symptoms persist. 9. These treatments, however, must be "active" rather than "passive", in order to avert fatalities and/or unfortunate sequelae from this iatrogenic and incompletely understood disease.

Reinstitution of neuroleptic treatment with molindone in a patient with a history of neuroleptic malignant syndrome

The decision to reinstitute neuroleptic treatment in patients with a history of neuroleptic treatment is fraught with hazards. A case is reported in which neuroleptic treatment was successfully reintroduced with molindone after previous bouts of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) with trifluoperazine and thioridazine. Molindone may represent an alternative neuroleptic to consider in patients with a history of NMS, although all neuroleptics including clozapine and molindone may potentially precipitate this syndrome.