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Updated: Aug 26, 2026
Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Calcium channel blockers for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia
1Department of Social Work, Bar llan University, 82 Jerusalem Street, Kfar-Saba, Israel.
Background:
Tardive dyskinesia is a disfiguring movement disorder of the orofacial region often caused by antipsychotic drugs. A wide range of strategies has been used to help manage tardive dyskinesia and, for people who are unable to have their antipsychotic medication stopped or substantially changed, the calcium-channel blocking group of drugs (diltiazem, nifedipine, nimodipine, verapamil) has been suggested as a useful adjunctive treatment.
Objectives:
To determine the effects of calcium-channel blocker drugs (diltiazem, nifedipine, nimodipine, verapamil) for treatment of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or other chronic mental illnesses.
Search Strategy:
We updated previous searches of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Register (1982-2000), Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2000), Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's register of trials (November 2000), EMBASE (1980-2000), LILACS (1982-2000), MEDLINE (1966-2000), PsycLIT (1974-2000), and SCISEARCH by searching the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Register (September 2003). We searched references of all identified studies for further trial citations and contacted authors of trials.
Selection Criteria:
Randomised clinical trials comparing calcium-channel blockers to placebo or no intervention for people with both tardive dyskinesia and schizophrenia or serious mental illness.
Data Collection And Analysis:
Data were to have been independently extracted and analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of homogeneous dichotomous data were to have been calculated using a random effects model, and, where possible, the number needed to treat calculated. Weighted mean differences (WMD) were to have been calculated for continuous data.
Main Results:
No trials were included. We excluded fourteen studies; eight were not randomised, one did not use calcium channel blockers and five small, randomised, studies reported no usable data.
Reviewer'S Conclusions:
The effects of calcium-channel blockers for antipsychotic induced tardive dyskinesia are unknown. Their use is experimental and should only be given in the context of well designed randomised studies.
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