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Treatment of neuroleptic-induced akathisia with nicotine patches
1Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Springfield, MA 01199, USA.
Psychopharmacology
|December 17, 1997
Abstract:
We administered 14 mg nicotine patches to 16 patients, all non-smokers, who displayed akathisia from antipsychotic drugs. On single-blind ratings, akathisia appeared significantly reduced on days when patients were wearing the patches as compared to the baseline day. These findings, if confirmed, may help to explain the high rates of tobacco use among psychotic patients, and may suggest avenues for the treatment of akathisia.