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1. Olanzapine and clozapine: Comparative effects on motor function in hallucinating patients CG Goetz, LM Blasucci, S Leurgans, EJ Pappert Neurology 2000;55:789-794 This double-blind comparison of two atypical antipsychotics in Parkinson's disease shows that olanzapine (mean dose 11.4 mg/day) significantly worsens motor disability compared to both baseline and clozapine treatment. The results of this study were initially reported by E-MOVE from the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, and are archived at: http://www.wemove.org/emove/article.asp?ID=196 2. Low-dose olanzapine for levodopa-induced dyskinesias AJ Manson, A Schrag, AJ Lees Neurology 2000;55:795-799 Ten PD patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesias were randomized to receive either placebo or olanzapine (mean 3.6 mg/day) for two weeks, followed by a one-week washout and cross-over to the other treatment arm. Dyskinesias were assessed at baseline and the end of each treatment, during a challenge with either levodopa or apomorphine, using a variety of objective and subjective scales. Olanzapine treatment led to a 41% reduction in dyskinesias versus placebo on the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale (p=0.017), and significant improvements on all other scales as well. However, treated patients also reported a 30% increase in waking off time, versus 2% for placebo (p=0.025), and had significantly worse scores on UPDRS parts II and III. In an editorial accompanying these two reports, Irene H. Richard and John Nutt state: "[These studies] are important because they contradict the conclusion based on uncontrolled studies that olanzapine is an effective and well-tolerated antipsychotic in PD... ""For now, clozapine in low doses is the only antipsychotic medication proven to treat drug-induced psychosis without worsening motor function in PD." Copyright 2000 WE MOVE Editor: Richard Robinson ([log in to unmask]) http://www.wemove.org janet paterson, an akinetic rigid subtype parkie 53 now /44 dx cd / 43 onset cd /41 dx pd / 37 onset pd TEL: 613 256 8340 URL: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ EMAIL: [log in to unmask] SMAIL: POBox 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada