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The Effect Of Tranquilizing Agents On Diadochokinetic Movement In A Senile Psychotic Population, Sam Larry Terzo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

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 .