Response of tardive and L-dopa-induced dyskinesias to antidepressants.
We report two patients with dyskinesia responding to antidepressants. The first is a 70-year-old man with depression, Parkinsonism and neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia who presented with hysterical mutism. After recovery from the mutism, he was started on desipramine for depression. One week later the dyskinesia improved markedly. The second patient is a 61-year-old man with Parkinson's disease, dementia, depression and L-dopa-induced oro-lingual-facial dyskinesias. He was taking levodopa, trihexyphenydil and bromocriptine. The depression was treated first with desipramine and later with trazodone. The dyskinesia improved significantly on both drugs. The response of the dyskinesias to antidepressant medication may be due to the fact that antidepressants decrease beta-adrenoreceptor sensitivity and density which in turn may result in a diminished release of dopamine since beta-adrenoceptors mediate the noradrenaline-stimulated release of dopamine.
el-Awar
M
M
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Freedman
M
M
Seeman
P
P
Goldenberg
L
L
Little
J
J
Solomon
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D003891:Desipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014196:Trazodone / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D003891:Desipramine; D014196:Trazodone