Movement disorders such as dyskinesias are treated with which drug?

Movement disorders such as dyskinesias are treated with which drug?

• A. Haloperidol
• B. Risperidone
• C. Chlorpromazine
• D. Trifluoperazine

Answer: (A)

Movement disorders like dyskinesias come from dopamine blockade in the nigrostriatal pathway, a common effect of typical antipsychotics. Treating these extrapyramidal symptoms works best by rebalanceing acetylcholine and dopamine in the striatum, which is achieved with anticholinergic medications such as benztropine or trihexyphenidyl (and sometimes diphenhydramine). For tardive dyskinesia, other options like VMAT2 inhibitors (valbenazine, deutetrabenazine) are used. The drugs listed are antipsychotics themselves and can cause or worsen movement disorders rather than treat them, so they’re not appropriate as treatments for dyskinesias.

Movement disorders like dyskinesias come from dopamine blockade in the nigrostriatal pathway, a common effect of typical antipsychotics. Treating these extrapyramidal symptoms works best by rebalanceing acetylcholine and dopamine in the striatum, which is achieved with anticholinergic medications such as benztropine or trihexyphenidyl (and sometimes diphenhydramine). For tardive dyskinesia, other options like VMAT2 inhibitors (valbenazine, deutetrabenazine) are used. The drugs listed are antipsychotics themselves and can cause or worsen movement disorders rather than treat them, so they’re not appropriate as treatments for dyskinesias.