Robin Hieber, Pharm.D., BCPP
Movement disorders have many different presentations and are defined as a group of syndromes that affect the ability for one to control movement in a given muscle or muscle group. Many of the medications we use to treat psychiatric illness (antipsychotics, lithium, and valproic acid) have the potential to cause movement disorders, often referred to as extrapyramidal side effects, though predictability is lacking. Antipsychotic-induced dopamine blockade can lead to acute dystonia, akathisia, and Parkinsonism, all of which are generally reversible if treatment is discontinued.
