What are the different extrapyramidal symptoms?
The extrapyramidal system is a neural network in the brain that is part of the motor system, and has a major role in coordinating the body movement. This system is highly dependent on the neurotransmitter dopamine to function properly. Because many antipsychotic drugs affect the dopamine network, these drugs can cause extrapyramid symptoms such as muscle rigidity, recurring muscle movement and involuntary movements.
Extrapyramidal symptoms, also called EPS, develop mainly due to disruption of dopamine pathways in parts of the brain connected to the motor system. This disruption leads to reduced availability of dopamine in parts of the brain that regulate and coordinate movement. The result is symptoms that relate to the loss of muscle control, such as muscle and tremor. These drugs work by suppressing actidopamine, which is overproduced in the brains of people with schizophrenia and other psychosis disorders. Extrapyramidal side effects occur as a result of this suppression of dopamine, with the risk of the sideThe effects over time increase when treatment is accepted. For other people, symptoms may not show months or years. Typical side effects include muscle rigidity, tremor, twitching, muscle contractions, involuntary muscle movements and restlessness. Other common symptoms include a face and may include drooling, involuntary eye movement and an opaque facial expression similar to a mask.
Extrapyramidal symptoms may develop for reasons other than using antipsychotic drugs. For example, people with Parkinson's disease develop certain types of extrapuyramidal side effects due to the death of neurons involved in dopamine secretion. This cellular death leads to the dysfunction of extrapyramidal neuronal network and a symptom called bradykinesia, in which movements are performed more slowly than usual.
people who experience extrapyramid side effects due to the use of antipsychotic drugs can be able to dreamlive the occurrence of their symptoms. Symptoms are usually governed by reducing the dosage of the drug or switching to another medicine. Many new generation antipsychotic drugs affect dopamine pathways in different ways, so the transition to newer drugs can reduce symptoms. Alternatively, the physician may prescribe further medicines to reduce the side effects of antipsychotic drug.
In people with Parkinson's disease and other disorders that affect dopamine pathways, a dopamine precursor called L-DOPA is one of the most common drugs used as treatment. This medicine is used because the dopamine itself can exceed the blood -brain barrier. The L-Dop is able to cross the barrier and as a precursor of dopamine is metabolised to the basic neurotransmitter once in the brain.