Treating Tardive Dyskinesia

A meta-analysis showed that approximately 1 in 4 patients who have been on a second-generation antipsychotic after 10 years will develop tardive dyskinesia (TD), while the rate of those on first-generation antipsychotics is 1 in 2. The 2 greatest risk factors for TD are the duration and dose of treatment. Two FDA-approved treatments for TD are VMAT2 inhibitors deutetrabenazine and valbenazine. When using one of these therapies to treat TD, it will likely need to be put in place for the duration that the antipsychotic is being used, or else the TD may come back within a month of discontinuation.

Reference: Aiken C. 7 Ways to Treat Tardive Dyskinesia. Psychiatric Times. Published May 13, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2022. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/7-ways-treat-tardive-dyskinesia?page=9

Related Articles