Tardive dyskinesia in India: a prevalence study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a serious side effect of long-term neuroleptic treatment.
• Prevalence rates of TD vary globally, with Western countries reporting higher incidences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in an Indian inpatient psychiatric population.
• To investigate factors associated with TD in this population and compare findings with international data.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 1963 inpatients at a state hospital near Bombay, India, using standardized diagnostic criteria for TD.
• Analysis of patient demographics, neuroleptic treatment history (duration and dosage), and association with TD.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) was found to be 9.6% in the studied population.
• TD prevalence was highest in the 41-50 age group and decreased thereafter.
• TD patients had significantly longer duration and higher cumulative doses of neuroleptic treatment compared to non-TD patients.

Conclusions:

• The lower prevalence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in India compared to Western countries may be attributed to the common practice of using lower neuroleptic doses.
• Lower mean daily doses (approx. 200 mg chlorpromazine equivalents) are likely a key factor in reduced TD rates.
• Racial-genetic factors are a potential, though unconfirmed, contributor to the observed lower prevalence of TD.