title: Medication-induced somnambulism in a patient with schizoaffective disorder.
abstract: A 39-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder experienced somnambulism only when taking a combination of lithium carbonate, chlorpromazine, triazolam, and benztropine. This was confirmed in the sleep laboratory. The sleepwalking occurred during Stage 2 sleep; the sleep record showed a marked paucity of REM sleep. The patient's brother had had one episode of somnambulism, also following exposure to a substance affecting the CNS. A role for CNS-active medications in triggering some pathologic sleep phenomena in predisposed individuals is hypothesized. Medications with central anticholinergic activity may be particularly important.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001590:Benztropine / Q000009:adverse effects; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013009:Somnambulism / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014229:Triazolam / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D014229:Triazolam; D001590:Benztropine; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008094:Lithium; D002746:Chlorpromazine