A patient on pimozide therapy is experiencing extrapyramidal symptoms. Which medication would be beneficial in reducing these symptoms?

Pimozide is an antipsychotic medication that can lead to extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), which are movement disorders that occur due to the blockade of dopamine receptors, particularly in the nigrostriatal pathway. Benztropine is an anticholinergic medication that effectively counteracts these EPS by restoring the balance between dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. By inhibiting the effects of acetylcholine, benztropine helps alleviate symptoms such as rigidity, tremors, and bradykinesia associated with the use of pimozide.

Benztropine's ability to inhibit acetylcholine helps in managing the side effects caused by dopamine antagonism, which makes it a first-line treatment for EPS resulting from antipsychotic medications like pimozide.

Other options mentioned—such as bromocriptine, prochlorperazine, and risperidone—are not appropriate for managing EPS caused by pimozide. Bromocriptine is a dopamine agonist that could potentially worsen symptoms by increasing dopamine activity. Prochlorperazine is another antipsychotic that may exacerbate EPS rather than alleviate it. Risperidone, while an atypical antipsychotic with