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Oculogyric Spasm in Asian Psychiatric In-patients on Maintenance Medication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Chay-Hoon Tan ,
Peck-Chiam Chiang ,
Li-Ling Ng  and
Kuan-Tzee Chee
Chay-Hoon Tan*
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacology, Singapore
Peck-Chiam Chiang
Affiliation:
Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore
Li-Ling Ng
Affiliation:
Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore
Kuan-Tzee Chee
Affiliation:
Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore
*
Dr C. H. Tan, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 0511
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Abstract

Background

The objective was to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of oculogyric spasm (OGS) in an Asian country.

Method

All 2035 Asian (88% Chinese, 7% Malays and 5% Indonesians) psychiatric in-patients in the state psychiatric hospital in Singapore were surveyed for occurrence of oculogyric spasm (OGS) over a two-month period.

Results

Thirty-four patients (1.7%) developed OGS (53% male and 47% female). All the 34 patients had been on maintenance antipsychotic drugs for more than five months. Eighteen patients had recurrent attacks. The mean chlorpromazine equivalent daily dose for those patients with recurrent OGS was 511 mg. This was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the 277 mg daily dose received by those without recurrent OGS. Most (68%) of the attacks occurred between 1400–2000 h suggesting that OGS may have a diurnal variation.

Conclusions

GS presenting as tardive dystonia may be due to a relative increase in cholinergic activity.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 165 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 381 - 383
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1994 

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