Objective: To make evidence-based recommendations regarding management of tardive syndromes (TDS), including tardive dyskinesias (TDD), by addressing 5 questions: 1) Is withdrawal of dopamine receptor blocking agents (DRBAs) an effective TDS treatment? 2) Does switching from typical to atypical DRBAs reduce TDS symptoms? 3) What is the efficacy of pharmacologic agents in treating TDS? 4) Do patients with TDS benefit from chemodenervation with botulinum toxin? 5) Do patients with TDS benefit from surgical therapy?Methods: PsycINFO, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched . Articles were classified according to a 4-tiered evidence-rating scheme; recommendations were tied to the evidence.
Results and recommendations:Clonazepam probably improves TDD and ginkgo biloba probably improves TDS (both Level B); both should be considered as treatment. Risperidone may improve TDS but cannot be recommended as treatment because neuroleptics may cause TDS despite masking symptoms. Amantadine and tetrabenazine might be considered as TDS treatment (Level C). Diltiazem should not be considered as TDD treatment (Level B); galantamine and eicosapentaenoic acid may not be considered as treatment (Level C). Data are insufficient to support or refute use of acetazolamide, bromocriptine, thiamine, baclofen, vitamin E, vitamin B 6 , selegiline, clozapine, olanzapine, melatonin, nifedipine, fluperlapine, sulpiride, flupenthixol, thiopropazate, haloperidol, levetiracetam, quetiapine, ziprasidone, sertindole, aripiprazole, buspirone, yi-gan san, biperiden discontinuation, botulinum toxin type A, electroconvulsive therapy, a-methyldopa, reserpine, and pallidal deep brain stimulation as TDS treatments (Level U). Data are insufficient to support or refute TDS treatment by withdrawing causative agents or switching from typical to atypical DRBA (Level U). Tardive syndromes (TDS) are disorders that fulfill the following criteria: history of at least 3 months' total cumulative neuroleptic exposure during which the exposure can be continuous or discontinuous, presence of at least "moderate" abnormal involuntary movements in one or more body areas or at least "mild" movements in 2 or more body areas, and absence of other conditions that might produce abnormal involuntary movements.1 Various involuntary movements, including lingual-facial-buccal movements, are recognized as tardive dyskinesia (TDD) symptoms. TDS includes not only lingual-facial-buccal dyskinesia but also the variant forms, collectively termed tardive syndromes. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In this guideline, tardive dyskinesia encompasses all forms of persistent dyskinesia caused by dopamine receptor blocking agents (DRBAs).TDS prevalence is estimated to be 30% in outpatients with schizophrenia treated with neuroleptics.9-11 TDS †Deceased.