Understanding Drug-Induced Movement Disorders: Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, and Management
This article offers a detailed exploration of drug-induced movement disorders, which are often overlooked and underdiagnosed in clinical settings due to various factors such as genetics, environment, and aging. Commonly used classification systems like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems help categorize these disorders, covering a wide range including myoclonus, drug-induced parkinsonism, and tardive dyskinesias, with antiseizure medications and antipsychotics as primary culprits.
Understanding and Managing Tardive Dyskinesia and Dystonia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
This article covers symptoms, causes, and treatments for tardive dyskinesia and dystonia, both triggered by medications used for mental disorders, especially antipsychotics. Tardive dyskinesia results in involuntary facial movements, while dystonia causes sustained muscle contractions, often affecting the head and neck. While tardive dyskinesia develops gradually and may persist after medication cessation, dystonia can onset rapidly and stem from various causes including infections, tumors, or genetic factors.
Clinician’s Tardive Inventory Emerges as a Reliable Tool for Assessing Tardive Dyskinesia Symptoms and Impact
Researchers of a recent study focused on developing and validating the Clinician’s Tardive Inventory (CTI) to address the limitations of current clinician-rated tardive dyskinesia (TD) symptom scales.
Study Reveals Ethnicity-Based Differences in Tardive Dyskinesia Outcomes Among Patients With Schizophrenia
Researchers of a study focused on understanding the long-term course and outcome of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in patients with schizophrenia of European and African descent, who were previously or currently on first-generation antipsychotic agents.
Recognizing Tardive Dyskinesia From Other Movement Disorders
In an article from Neurology Live, Laxman Bahroo, DO, and Jonathan R. Isaacson, MD, explore the manifestations of tardive dyskinesia (TD) as well as the distinctions between TD and extrapyramidal symptoms and neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. Through citing different clinical trials, Dr. Bahroo and Dr. Isaacson review certain misconceptions and treatment options for TD. They note that due to TD’s under-recognition, the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder can be challenging, but is reachable through growing awareness, screening, and observation efforts.
Study Emphasizes Caution in Antipsychotic Prescriptions for High-Risk Groups
A recent case report assessed an 80-year-old man with a history of dementia, bilateral blindness, glaucoma, hearing loss, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia complaining of visual hallucinations. Risperidone was first prescribed, followed by a combination with Quetiapine, and eventually replaced with valproate due to lack of symptom improvement and non-adherence. Three months after stopping antipsychotic medications, he developed orofacial tremors.
Researchers concluded that, when prescribing antipsychotics, physicians must be cautious of tardive dyskinesia (TD) as a potential delayed side effect, and physicians need to monitor for early signs of TD, especially in high-risk individuals. In this case, risk factors included old age, prolonged risperidone use, and abrupt cessation of the drug.
Comprehensive Study Unveils Insights into Vocal Tics: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
In a study, researchers reviewed the symptoms, causes, and treatment of vocal tics, which are characterized by involuntary verbal sounds or words ranging from subtle to pronounced. Researchers noted that tic disorders, including Tourette’s syndrome, are among the diagnostic criteria for such conditions, often originating in childhood, but possibly emerging in adulthood. Vocal tics can also accompany conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, or traumatic brain injury. Some medications, including antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants may induce tics. Medications like aripiprazole or haloperidol, and therapy such as comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics, can help manage tics and their impact on daily life.
Debunking Myths and Highlighting Facts About Tardive Dyskinesia and Antipsychotics
A researcher unpacked several myths and facts about tardive dyskinesia (TD). The author assessed the facts about how the risk of developing TD increases the longer a patient takes an antipsychotic and the risk factors that can increase a patient’s chance of developing TD.
IMPACT-TD Scale Launched for Comprehensive Evaluation of Tardive Dyskinesia in Daily Life
In an announcement, Teva Pharmaceuticals released the IMPACT-TD Scale, a clinician-rated tool designed to help health professionals gauge the effect of tardive dyskinesia (TD) on a patient’s daily life.
Professional and Social Stigma Faced by Individuals With Tardive Dyskinesia Movements, Study Reveals
Researchers of a recent study aimed to understand the impact of tardive dyskinesia (TD) on people’s perceptions in professional and social settings. Using a randomized, blinded digital survey, participants watched a video of an actor simulating either TD movements or no TD movements, and then answered questions about employment, dating, and friendship.
