Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:756-758
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
The prevention of tardive dyskinesia
GE Crane
The publication of numerous articles on tardive dyskinesia has had little
effect on the excessive use of neurolepic drugs in psychiatric populations.
If current prescribing patterns are not drastically changed, larger numbers
of patients will be afflicted by conspicuous, sometimes disabling
neurological side effects. The risk of permanent neurological disorder can
be minimized by monitoring side effects and systematically reducing drug
doses in hospitals, outpatient centers, and private practice. However, one
should not underestimate the difficulty in implementing such a program in
facilities that rely heavily on chemotherapy.
