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Tardive dyskinesia and dementia
The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|December 1, 1979
Summary
Schizophrenic patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) showed worse learning abilities and more brain abnormalities, suggesting chronic neuroleptic toxicity may cause these issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder often treated with neuroleptic medications.
- Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a potential side effect of long-term neuroleptic use.
- Cognitive deficits and brain changes are observed in schizophrenia, but their relation to TD requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cognitive function and brain structure in schizophrenic patients with and without tardive dyskinesia.
- To explore the potential link between chronic neuroleptic toxicity and observed pathologies in TD patients.
Main Methods:
- Psychological testing was used to assess intellectual function in 17 schizophrenic patients with TD and 33 without TD.
- Electro-Magnetic Imaging (EMI) scans were performed on all participants.
- The Ventricular Index, a parameter derived from EMI scans, was used to quantify brain abnormalities.
Main Results:
- The overall group of schizophrenic patients exhibited signs of dementia.
- 31 out of 45 patients showed abnormalities on their EMI scans.
- Patients with TD performed significantly worse on a learning test compared to those without TD.
- The TD group demonstrated greater abnormalities in the Ventricular Index, a measure of brain pathology.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests a higher incidence of brain pathology in schizophrenic patients with TD.
- These findings may indicate a relationship between chronic neuroleptic toxicity and the development of TD and associated cognitive/neurological deficits.