Tardive dyskinesia, impaired recall, and informed consent

Schizophrenics (N = 9) were examined for signs of tardive dyskinesia and given detailed information about the disorder. Recall of this information was assessed after 2 weeks, and further instruction was given to those with defective recall. Retesting after a further 2 weeks revealed that all patients without tardive dyskinesia had some recall, but 5 of 9 patients with tardive dyskinesia could not remember any discussion having taken place (p = .29). The presence of memory problems in patients with tardive dyskinesia would have implications for the pathogenesis and management of the disorder.