What is an acute dystonic reaction (ADR)?
Acute dystonic reaction is an abrupt, drug-induced dystonia, especially of the head and neck.
About 2.5% of patients treated with neuroleptics develop Acute dystonic reaction within the first 48 hours of treatment.
Although it is one of the first described neuroleptic-induced movement disorders, the pathophysiology of Acute dystonic reaction remains unknown.
Because it follows the use of dopamine receptor-blocking drugs and improves with anticholinergics, it is presumed that changes in the striatal dopamine and acetylcholine are important in the genesis of Acute dystonic reaction.
