Infantile chorea following abrupt withdrawal of diazepam and pentobarbital therapy. 1993

S J Patrick, and L K Snelling, and L R Ment
Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.

The acute onset of chorea was seen in a ten week-old male following abrupt cessation of a seven-day course of sedation with diazepam and pentobarbital. These movements slowly resolved over a six-day period and the infant was without neurologic sequelae one week after his chorea resolved. A cerebral MRI was normal. We speculate that the mechanism by which chorea may occur as a withdrawal phenomenon to benzodiazepine/barbiturate treatment is by a functional overactivity of the dopaminergic system in the basal ganglia.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D010424 Pentobarbital A short-acting barbiturate that is effective as a sedative and hypnotic (but not as an anti-anxiety) agent and is usually given orally. It is prescribed more frequently for sleep induction than for sedation but, like similar agents, may lose its effectiveness by the second week of continued administration. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p236) Mebubarbital,Mebumal,Diabutal,Etaminal,Ethaminal,Nembutal,Pentobarbital Sodium,Pentobarbital, Monosodium Salt,Pentobarbitone,Sagatal,Monosodium Salt Pentobarbital
D011184 Postoperative Period The period following a surgical operation. Period, Postoperative,Periods, Postoperative,Postoperative Periods
D002819 Chorea Involuntary, forcible, rapid, jerky movements that may be subtle or become confluent, markedly altering normal patterns of movement. Hypotonia and pendular reflexes are often associated. Conditions which feature recurrent or persistent episodes of chorea as a primary manifestation of disease are referred to as CHOREATIC DISORDERS. Chorea is also a frequent manifestation of BASAL GANGLIA DISEASES. Choreatic Disorders,Choreiform Movement,Chorea Disorders,Chorea Syndromes,Chorea, Benign Hereditary,Chorea, Chronic Progressive,Chorea, Rheumatic,Chorea, Senile,Chorea, Sydenham,Choreatic Syndromes,Choreic Movement,Dyskinesias, Paroxysmal,Hereditary Chorea,Hereditary Progressive Chorea Without Dementia,Paroxysmal Dyskinesias,Rheumatic Chorea,Senile Chorea,St. Vitus's Dance,Sydenham Chorea,Sydenham's Chorea,Benign Hereditary Chorea,Benign Hereditary Choreas,Chorea Disorder,Chorea Syndrome,Chorea, Hereditary,Chorea, Sydenham's,Choreas,Choreas, Benign Hereditary,Choreas, Chronic Progressive,Choreas, Hereditary,Choreas, Rheumatic,Choreas, Senile,Choreas, Sydenham,Choreatic Disorder,Choreatic Syndrome,Choreic Movements,Choreiform Movements,Chronic Progressive Chorea,Chronic Progressive Choreas,Disorder, Chorea,Disorder, Choreatic,Disorders, Chorea,Disorders, Choreatic,Dyskinesia, Paroxysmal,Hereditary Chorea, Benign,Hereditary Choreas,Hereditary Choreas, Benign,Movement, Choreic,Movement, Choreiform,Movements, Choreic,Movements, Choreiform,Paroxysmal Dyskinesia,Progressive Chorea, Chronic,Progressive Choreas, Chronic,Rheumatic Choreas,Senile Choreas,St. Vitus Dance,St. Vitus's Dances,St. Vituss Dance,Sydenham Choreas,Sydenhams Chorea,Syndrome, Chorea,Syndrome, Choreatic,Syndromes, Chorea,Syndromes, Choreatic
D003975 Diazepam A benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnesic properties and a long duration of action. Its actions are mediated by enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID activity. 7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one,Apaurin,Diazemuls,Faustan,Relanium,Seduxen,Sibazon,Stesolid,Valium
D006328 Cardiac Catheterization Procedures in which placement of CARDIAC CATHETERS is performed for therapeutic or diagnostic procedures. Catheterization, Cardiac,Catheterization, Heart,Heart Catheterization,Cardiac Catheterizations,Catheterizations, Cardiac,Catheterizations, Heart,Heart Catheterizations
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013375 Substance Withdrawal Syndrome Physiological and psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal from the use of a drug after prolonged administration or habituation. The concept includes withdrawal from smoking or drinking, as well as withdrawal from an administered drug. Drug Withdrawal Symptoms,Withdrawal Symptoms,Drug Withdrawal Symptom,Substance Withdrawal Syndromes,Symptom, Drug Withdrawal,Symptom, Withdrawal,Symptoms, Drug Withdrawal,Symptoms, Withdrawal,Syndrome, Substance Withdrawal,Syndromes, Substance Withdrawal,Withdrawal Symptom,Withdrawal Symptom, Drug,Withdrawal Symptoms, Drug,Withdrawal Syndrome, Substance,Withdrawal Syndromes, Substance

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