Abstract

CORREIA, Raquel et al. Clozapine and seizures: three cases and literature review. Arq Med [online]. 2011, vol.25, n.4, pp.141-145. ISSN 2183-2447.

Clozapine is an antipsychotic that confers significant clinical benefits in resistant schizophrenia. Adverse effects such as leukopenia, sedation, weight gain, are usually apparent in the early stages of treatment with clozapine, which rarely causes extrapyramidal effects, tardive dyskinesia or increased prolactin. One of the adverse effects described is the occurrence of and seizures (myoclonus and tonic-clonic types), effects that appear to be dose related. The tonic-clonic seizures are the most often induced by clozapine. The gradual dose titration is one of the strategies used to minimize these effects. The authors describe three cases of patients with resistant schizophrenia, treated with clozapine who developed myoclonus and/or tonic-clonic seizures. It was performed a literature review on the ocurrence of seizures in patients treated with clozapine and their clinical and therapeutic implications.

Keywords : clozapine; myoclonus; tonic-clonic seizures.

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