A severe medication-induced movement disorder associated with the use of a neuroleptic (antipsychotic) medication. Symptoms include muscle rigidity, high fever, and related findings such as dysphagia, incontinence, confusion, and mutism.
A rare, idiosyncratic, and sometimes fatal reaction to high-potency neuroleptic drugs; most likely a result of dopamine blockade on the basal ganglia and hypothalamus. Symptoms include muscle rigidity and high fever.
A potentially fatal complication following administration of antipsychotic medications; characterized by severe hyperthermia, confusion, gross diaphoresis, renal failure, and seizures.
A potentially fatal syndrome marked by hyperthermia, catatonic rigidity, altered mental status, profuse sweating, and occasionally rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, seizures, and death. It typically occurs after exposure to drugs that alter levels of dopamine in the brain (such as antipsychotic agents) or after the withdrawal of agents that increase central nervous system dopamine levels (such as levodopa/carbidopa). The mortality may be as high as 30%. Antipyretics, curare-based paralytic drugs, bromocriptine, and dantrolene are used to treat the syndrome.