Rabbit syndrome

Rabbit syndrome is a rare<ref name="PMID 2870650">,

 Prevalence of the rabbit syndrome, 
 American Journal of Psychiatry, 
 1986,
 Vol. 143(Issue: 5),
 pp. 656–7,
 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.143.5.656,
 PMID: 2870650,</ref> form of extrapyramidal side effect of antipsychotic drugs in which perioral tremors occur at a rate of approximately 5 Hz. Rabbit syndrome is characterized by involuntary, fine, rhythmic motions of the mouth along a vertical plane, without involvement of the tongue,<ref name="PMID 5042912">, 
 The rabbit syndrome. A peculiar extrapyramidal reaction, 
 Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 
 1972,
 Vol. 17(Issue: 2),
 pp. Suppl 2:SS69–,
 DOI: 10.1177/07067437720176S213,
 PMID: 5042912,</ref><ref name="PMID 17562001">, 
 Newer antipsychotics and the rabbit syndrome, 
 Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 
 2007,
 Vol. 3,
 pp. 6,
 DOI: 10.1186/1745-0179-3-6,
 PMID: 17562001,
 PMC: 1914060,</ref> and resembling the chewing movements of a rabbit.<ref>, 
 Antipsychotic-induced rabbit syndrome: Epidemiology, management and pathophysiology, 
 CNS Drugs, 
 2004,
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 PMID: 15015902,</ref> It is usually seen after years of pharmacotherapy, and is more prominent with high potency drugs like haloperidol, fluphenazine, and pimozide. There is also a low incidence with thioridazine, clozapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole,<ref name="pmid18262773">, 
 Aripiprazole-induced rabbit syndrome in a drug-naive schizophrenic patient, 
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 PMID: 18262773,</ref> and low doses of risperidone.

Rabbit syndrome can be treated with anticholinergic drugs. It generally disappears within a few days of treatment but may re-emerge after anticholinergic treatment is stopped. Another treatment strategy is to switch the patient to an atypical antipsychotic with high anti-cholinergic properties.<ref name="PMID 17562001" />

References

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