In a recent study, researchers aimed to understand the effects and patterns of tardive dyskinesia (TD+) on the quality of life and treatment results in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). Both patients with and without TD were studied. Their clinical data was compared, and antipsychotic use patterns in TD+ cases were analyzed. Compared with the non-TD group, those with TD were older, predominantly female, and mostly had type I bipolar illness. Approximately 60.3% of the TD+ participants were still using antipsychotics at the time of study, with an average exposure of 18.2 years.

The study reiterates known TD risk factors like age, gender, and bipolar subtype; however, the study was limited by its design and didn’t assess the severity of tardive illnesses. There’s a need to unify large datasets to find more tardive risk markers, especially as atypical antipsychotics are key in mood stabilization treatment for bipolar disorder.

Reference: Gardea-Resendez M, Taylor-Desir MJ, Romo-Nava F, et al. Clinical Phenotype of Tardive Dyskinesia in Bipolar Disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2022 Mar-Apr 01;42(2):159-162. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001532.