Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Bipolar disorder and dopamine dysfunction: an indirect approach focusing on tardive movement syndromes in a
Inge van Rossum1, Diederik Tenback, Jim van Os
1Eli Lilly Nederland, Medical Department, Houten, The Netherlands. winter_van_rossum_inge@lilly.com
Background:
It has been suggested that dopamine dysfunction may play a role in bipolar disorder (BD). An indirect approach to examine this issue was developed, focusing on associations between dopamine proxy measures observed in BD (dopamine-related clinical traits using tardive movement syndromes as dopamine proxy measure of reference).
Methods:
3459 eligible bipolar patients were enrolled in an observational study. Incidence rates of tardive movement syndromes (tardive dyskinesia and tardive dystonia; TDD) were examined. A priori hypothesized associations between incident TDD and other dopamine proxies (e.g. prolactin-related adverse effects, bipolar symptoms) were tested over a 2 year follow-up period.
Results:
The incidence rate of tardive syndromes was 4.1 %. Incident TDD was independently associated not only with use of antipsychotics, but also with more severe bipolar symptoms, other extrapyramidal symptoms and prolactin-related adverse effects of medication.
Conclusion:
Apart from the well-known association with antipsychotics, development of TDD was associated with various other dopamine proxy measures, indirectly supporting the notion of generalised dopamine dysregulation in BD.
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