Cognitive function, course of illness, and medication history were
assessed in 42 bipolar patients evaluated for the presence of involuntary
movements. Among the 25 patients 55 years old or older, the 16 with
involuntary movements were not distinguished from the nine without
involuntary movements by past or current exposure to neuroleptics,
anticholinergics, or carbamazepine, but they showed poorer cognitive
function, had fewer major depressive episodes, and had received briefer
exposure to lithium. The association between involuntary movements and
cognitive dysfunction parallels that found in schizophrenia, suggesting
that similar neurological processes may contribute to vulnerability to
involuntary movements in the major functional psychoses.Abstract Teaser