CLOZAPINE, NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, AND EXTRAPYRAMIDAL SIDE-EFFECTS

The importance of persistent negative symptoms in schizophrenia as a l imiting factor in psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation has been increasingly emphasized. As a result, treatment trials and new drug de velopment programs are focusing more attention on negative symptoms. U nfortunately, there is enormous phenomenological overlap between negat ive symptoms and neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. We report data from a cohort of 56 clozapine-treated patients demonstrating significant c orrelations between measures of akinesia and anergia. Despite an avera ge drug washout of over 2 weeks, the persistence of drug-induced parki nsonism can confound the assessment of therapeutic drug effects on neg ative symptoms.