Tardive dyskinesia in bipolar affective disorder: relationship to lithium therapy

Forty patients under the age of 60 years with a DSM-III diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder were examined for the presence of tardive dyskinesia. The overall prevalence was 22.5%, with an age-related increase. Patients with and without tardive dyskinesia did not differ in terms of duration of affective illness or exposure to neuroleptics, but those patients with tardive dyskinesia had significantly more psychiatric admissions and were on lithium for significantly greater lengths of time.