Subtle and underrecognized side effects of neuroleptic treatment in children with Tourette's disorder

A variety of side effects developed in children treated with neuroleptics for Tourette's disorder. Of 208 children, 34 manifested dose-related symptoms of dysphoria, nine experienced a worsening of symptoms of Tourette's disorder that was attributed to akathisia, five became hostile and aggressive, three developed "fog states" that disappeared with discontinuation of neuroleptics or treatment with primidone, and three experienced symptoms of tardive dyskinesia that resolved with time. This data base of neuroleptic-treated children with Tourette's disorder demonstrates a variety of subtle and underrecognized side effects that may not be as readily discernible in children receiving neuroleptics for a primary psychiatric disorder.