Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 37 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-34).

Clinical evidence has demonstrated that the anxiolytic effects produced by the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonist, gepirone, increase progressively over one to three weeks of treatment.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Psychology. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on November 6, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

The present study attempted to predict the serious side effects of akathisia and parkinsonism on the basis of individualized measurement of changes in visuomotor functioning. The following were the hypotheses for this investigation. 1. A deterioration of visuomotor ability as measured by a modification of Haase and Janssen' s (1965) Handwriting Test will predict which patients undergoing neuroleptic therapy will experience the extrapyramidal symptoms of akathisia and parkinsonism (symptom group) and which will not (no-symptom group). 2. A deterioration of visuomotor ability as measured by the Bender-Gestalt will predict which patients undergoing neuroleptic therapy will experience the extrapyramidal symptoms of akathisia and parkinsonism (symptom group) and which will not (no-symptom group). It was not possible to predict the symptom group as a whole on the basis of the Handwriting Test scores since a t test of the difference was not significant between group means. However, inspection of these scores showed clear deterioration of performance among the patients who experienced parkinsonian reactions as opposed to those who experienced akathisia or who did not experience extrapyramidal symptoms at all. The symptom group was separated into akathisic and parkinsonian groups and compared to the subjects who did not experience extrapyramidal side effects (no-symptom group). A one-way ANOVA showed a nonsignificant difference between the three groups. Similar analysis of the Bender-Gestalt scores failed to support the second hypothesis since no significant difference was found between groups.

Statement of the problem. The present study was designed to answer the question: What is the effect of tranquilizers, specifically phenothiazines , on diadochokinetic movement in a geriatric population? It was hypothesized that patients exhibiting overt effects of long term phenothiazine therapy (dyskinesia ) would show a reduced rate of diadochokinetic movement when compared with an age-matched group exhibiting no such symptoms and with no history of having taken tranquilizers . Furthermore, if this diadochokinetic movement were reduced, there would be a greater incidence of defective speech in this patient group .