Prevention and Treatment of Antipsychotic-induced Tardive Dyskinesia

Tardive dyskinesias (TDs) are still common long-term sequelae of antipsychotic treatment. They are generally irreversible and associated with cognitive deficits, a decrease in quality of life and increased mortality. Furthermore, they potentially contribute to further stigmatization of the affected patients. However due to limited treatment options, antipsychotic drugs are still one of the cornerstones in treatment of most severe mental illnesses.Therefore, knowledge about risk factors and prevention of TDs is crucial. If TDs occur, the immediate optimization of the antipsychotic drug regimen is required. Targeted medical treatments such as VMAT - 2 inhibitors can be considered. The novel VMAT-2 inhibitors are not yet approved in Germany. Other drugs that are currently used to treat TDs include clonazepam and gingko biloba. This review summarizes the current evidence of treatment options of TDs and seeks to formulate clinical recommendations for the prevention and management of TDs.