Newer antipsychotics cause movement problems too

By John M Grohol PsyD

So-called atypical antipsychotic drugs are just as likely as older antipsychotics drugs to cause movement disorders in older people with dementia, according to a new study.

The findings underscore the importance of discussing the potential side effects of these drugs with patients and their caregivers before they are prescribed, Dr. Philip E. Lee of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver told Reuters Health.

“A lot of people felt that they were much safer to use, with much (fewer) side effects. These are in fact still powerful medications with potential side effects, including movement disorders,” he said in an interview.

As described in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Lee and his team studied 21,835 elderly Ontario residents with dementia who had recently been started on antipsychotic drugs; 9,790 were taking atypical antipsychotics and 12,045 were prescribed typical antipsychotics.

The results indicate that movement problems were fairly uncommon in both groups, but that the newer drugs were just as likely as the older ones to cause difficulties.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues, and the intersection of technology and psychology since 1992.