Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and other hyperthermic conditions are rare complications of antipsychotic drugs that can cause discomfort, disability, and even death. As a result, every psychiatrist, physician, and mental health care professional needs to be able to spot warning signs of NMS and to administer treatment in time to prevent a fatal outcome.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions is an important tool for clinicians, outlining a framework for understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing these little-understood and often overlapping disorders. This new second edition extensively updates and revises the first edition, integrating an explosion of new findings that have occurred since the earlier edition was published in 1989.

A new chapter on serotonin syndrome is particularly important, given the rise in use of serotonergic drugs such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). It is the first comprehensive review of this condition to appear in the world literature.

Other chapters focus on related conditions such as antipsychotic drug-related heatstroke, hyperthermia associated with other neuropsychiatric drugs, and malignant catatonia. The heatstroke chapter contains a detailed consideration of thermoregulatory mechanisms, the disruption of which could underlie the pathogenesis of all these conditions.

Written by four internationally renowned authorities on NMS, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions will equip clinicians with a practical approach based on the most current science. In addition, this balanced monograph will stimulate research, with coverage of controversies and unanswered questions to provide direction for future study.

American Psychiatric Publishing

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and other hyperthermic conditions are rare complications of antipsychotic drugs that can cause discomfort, disability, and even death. As a result, every psychiatrist, physician, and mental health care professional needs to understand and identify these disorders in time to prevent a fatal outcome. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions is an important tool for clinicians, outlining a framework for understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing these little-understood disorders.

This new edition extensively updates and revises the first edition, integrating an explosion of findings that have occurred since the earlier edition was published in 1989. In addition to NMS, chapters focus on antipsychotic drug-related heatstroke, hyperthermia associated with other neuropsychiatric drugs, and malignant catatonia, as well as

• A new chapter on serotonin syndrome, the first comprehensive review to appear in the world literature. With the proliferation of serotonergic drugs such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), the incidence of adverse reactions is on the rise, and this information will help practitioners spot early warning signals.

• Important information on thermoregulatory mechanisms to help clinicians understand the pathogenesis of hyperthermic conditions. With an understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying these conditions, practitioners will develop more effective strategies for recognition, diagnosis, and treatment.

Written by four internationally renowned authorities on NMS, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Related Conditions is the most comprehensive resource on the subject in existence. With nearly 850 citations in the reference section, it is a must for researchers—and for practitioners who need a practical approach based on the most current science.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Michael Joel Schrift, D.O., M.A.(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description:This is the second edition of this excellent and useful book covering neuroleptic malignant syndrome and related disorders. Written and edited by recognized experts in the field, this book is a valuable contribution to psychiatry.
Purpose:The purpose, according to the editors, is to provide clinicians who deal with psychopharmacological agents with a current, balanced, and comprehensive synthesis of all the available data in this field. They have accomplished this goal.
Audience:The intended audience is psychiatrists, mental health professionals, primary care providers, and neurologists. The book would also be useful to psychiatric and neurology residents.
Features:The book provides an up-to-date review of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, thermoregulatory mechanisms, and antipsychotic drug-related heatstroke, serotonin syndrome, hyperthermia associated with other neuropsychiatric drugs, and malignant catatonia. The references are timely and useful.
Assessment:This valuable second edition summarizes the literature on neuroleptic mn1ignant syndrome and related drug-induced neuropsychiatric disorders. Any clinician or researcher who is involved in psychopharmacology should read and refer to this book. This is an exceptional contribution to the field.

Stephan C. Mann, M.D., is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the Mental Health Clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Stanley N. Caroff, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Paul E. Keck Jr., M.D., is Vice Chairman for Research and Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Arthur Lazarus, M.D., M.B.A., is Professor of Psychiatry at MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Director and Regional Medical Research Specialist of Pfizer Pharmaceutical Group in Prospect, Kentucky.