title: Lateralized neuroleptic-induced side effects are associated with asymmetric visual evoked potentials.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that neuroleptic drugs may have an asymmetric effect on the two cerebral hemispheres. This effect is reflected by emergence of drug-induced lateralized extrapyramidal side effects and by dose-related alterations in electrophysiological asymmetries. The present study examined the hypothesis that asymmetry of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) is associated with lateralized appearance of neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism or tardive dyskinesia (TD). The asymmetry of the amplitudes of later VEP components was significantly higher in patients with lateralized side effects (n = 8) than in patients with symmetrical side effects (n = 6) or free of extrapyramidal side effects (n = 11). The possibility that VEP asymmetry reflects the differential degree to which the two hemispheres are affected by medication is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents