A Guide to the Extrapyramidal Side Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs have revolutionized the management of major psychiatric disorders and the outcomes of those who suffer from them. However, they often contribute to a range of adverse effects, among the most frequent and distressing of which are those resulting in disturbance of voluntary motor function. Extrapyramidal side effects--or EPS--are still poorly recognized and frequently misattributed. Despite vast research literature, there have been few attempts to bring together both the descriptive clinical elements of these disorders and major research conclusions pertinent to routine practice. This very readable and well-illustrated book seeks to rectify this problem in the hope of increasing clinicians' awareness of the issues and acknowledgement of their impact. This is a task made more challenging by the emergence of new drugs with lower liability that may promote subtler abnormalities than standard compounds. This book will be an important reference for psychiatrists, neurologists, and other clinicians who prescribe antipsychotic drugs.