The rabbit syndrome: Occurrence in a neuroleptic naive patient

✍ Scribed by Dr. Raphael Kelvin; John O'Brien; Tom Dening

• Book ID: 102229412
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.930080910

✦ Synopsis

An elderly woman presented with a severe depressive disorder and moderate cognitive impairment. She had a dyskinesia of the rabbit syndrome type, but in contrast to previous reports she had not previously been treated with neuroleptics. We believe this to be unique in the literature. Further, we speculate about the possible association of the rabbit syndrome and senile dementia of Lewy body type.

KEY worn-Rabbit syndrome, senile dementia of Lewy body type, neuroleptics.

The rabbit syndrome was first reported by Villeneuve in 1972. It is described as 'perioral muscular movements strikingly imitating the rapid chewing like movements of a rabbit's mouth'. It is to be distinguished from the more familiar buccolingual tardive dyskinesia by the lack of tongue involvement and the movements being limited to oral and masticatory muscles only. Little has been written about this syndrome, although one report found a prevalence of 2.3% among 260 chronic psychiatric inpatients taking neuroleptics . We report the first case to our knowledge of rabbit syndrome occurring in a neuroleptic naive patient.