Drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs) are most commonly associated with typical and atypical antipsychotics. However, other drugs such as antidepressants, antihistamines, antiepileptics, antiarrhythmics, and gastrointestinal drugs can also cause abnormal involuntary movements. Different types of movement disorders can also occur because of adverse drug reactions. Therefore, the important key to diagnosing DIMDs is a causal relationship between potential offending drugs and the occurrence of abnormal movements. The pathophysiology of DIMDs is not clearly understood; however, many cases of DIMDs are thought to exert adverse mechanisms of action in the basal ganglia. The treatment of some DIMDs is quite challenging, and removing the offending drugs may not be possible in some conditions such as withdrawing antipsychotics in the patient with partially or uncontrollable neuropsychiatric conditions. Future research is needed to understand the mechanism of DIMDs and the development of drugs with better side-effect profiles. This article reviews the phenomenology, diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and management of DIMDs.

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Parkinsonism is a syndrome composed of tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity, loss of postural reflexes, flexed posture, and freezing. 1 There are various acquired etiologies causing parkinsonism, such as dopaminergic blocking agents, cerebrovascular diseases, brain neoplasm, the intoxication of various toxins, brain trauma, and metabolic disturbances.Abnormal calcium metabolism causing hypo-or hypercalcemia can lead to adverse effects of the human nervous system. Although neurological manifestations of hypercalcemia mainly present as an alteration of consciousness or depression, the manifestations of hypocalcemia range from muscle twitching, spasms, tetanic contraction, numbness, altered mental status, encephalopathy, and seizures. 2,3 Movement disorders, such as chorea and parkinsonism, are unusual complications of hypocalcemia. Herein, we report a case of hypocalcemia attributed to postthyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism that presented with acute parkinsonism and psychomotor retardation. Those symptoms were dramatically improved after correcting hypocalcemia.