Trihexyphenidyl for the Management of Dystonia in Children
Trihexyphenidyl was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 13, 1949 under the brand name Artane®. Although indicated only for use in adults with Parkinsonism or for the control of extrapyramidal disorders caused by central nervous system drugs such as phenothiazines and thioxanthenes, it has become a common treatment for a wide variety of movement disorders. For more than 20 years, it has been used in the treatment of dystonia in children with cerebral palsy. In these patients, trihexyphenidyl may not only produce improvements in muscle tone, but also control of sialorrhea. This issue of Pediatric Pharmacotherapy will provide an overview of the pharmacology of trihexyphenidyl and describe the results of several recent studies of its use in children.
Abstract and Introduction
Introduction
Trihexyphenidyl was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 13, 1949 under the brand name Artane®. Although indicated only for use in adults with Parkinsonism or for the control of extrapyramidal disorders caused by central nervous system drugs such as phenothiazines and thioxanthenes, it has become a common treatment for a wide variety of movement disorders. For more than 20 years, it has been used in the treatment of dystonia in children with cerebral palsy. In these patients, trihexyphenidyl may not only produce improvements in muscle tone, but also control of sialorrhea. This issue of Pediatric Pharmacotherapy will provide an overview of the pharmacology of trihexyphenidyl and describe the results of several recent studies of its use in children.
Source...