Risperidone for tardive dyskinesia

[Antipsychotic-induced motor symptoms in schizophrenic psychoses-Part 3 : Tardive dyskinesia]

The treatment of schizophrenic psychoses with antipsychotic drugs (AP) is often associated with an increased risk of delayed occurrence of antipsychotic-associated movement disorders. Persistence and chronicity of such symptoms are very frequent. The risk of developing tardive dyskinesia (TD) is associated with the pharmacological effect profile of a particular AP, with treatment duration and age. This systematic review article summarizes the current study situation on prevalence, risk factors, prevention and treatment options and instruments for early prediction of TD in schizophrenic psychoses. The current data situation on treatment strategies for TD is very heterogeneous. For the treatment of TD there is preliminary evidence for reduction or discontinuation of the AP, switching to clozapine, administration of benzodiazepines (clonazepam) and treatment with vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) inhibitors, ginkgo biloba, amantadine or vitamin E. Although TD can be precisely diagnosed it cannot always be effectively treated. Early detection and early treatment of TD can have a favorable influence on the prognosis and the clinical outcome.

Gray matter abnormalities in schizophrenia patients with tardive dyskinesia: a magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry study

OBJECTIVE

The pathophysiological mechanism of TD remains unknown. All previous studies, using the region-of-interest method, focused on basal ganglion areas, were with inconsistent results. This whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study investigate the grey matter abnormality of TD and its correlates with clinical ratings.

METHOD

High resolution T1-weighted brain volumetric MRI from 25 schizophrenia patients with TD (TD group), 25 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched schizophrenia patients without TD (non-TD group), and 25 matched healthy subjects (NC group) were analyzed using a VBM approach. Clinical ratings included the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), and the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS).

RESULTS

The TD group had significantly smaller total gray matter volumes than the NC group (p = 0.05). Compared to the non-TD group, the TD group had significantly higher PANSS negative (p<0.001), SAS (p<0.001), and AIMS (p<0.001) scores; and smaller bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, which correlated negatively with the PANSS negative scores (r = -0.366, p<0.05); and smaller right superior frontal gyrus, which correlated negatively with AIMS scores (r = -0.399, p<0.001), and PANSS general score (r = -0.338, p<0.05).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-section design can't separate the gray matter change to TD from the context of the illness of schizophrenia, although TD with more severe clinical psychopathology could be a phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

The schizophrenia patients with TD had significantly reduced gray matter, mostly at the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and the right superior frontal gyrus, which correlated with severity of clinical symptoms and involuntary movement, respectively.

Can atypical antipsychotics improve tardive dyskinesia associated with other atypical antipsychotics? Case report and brief review of the literature

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a devastating adverse effect of long-term antipsychotic drug treatment. Atypical antipsychotics produce less TD, and it has been shown that they may have a therapeutic effect on pre-existing TD. Here, we report a case of olanzapine-induced TD which did not improve after switching to risperidone but improved after the addition of quetiapine to risperidone regimen. We also provide a brief review of the reported cases on TD induced by atypical antipsychotics which improved after switching to another atypical agent. It is unclear whether some atypical antipsychotics are more effective than others in the treatment of TD. Differences in this property and the underlying mechanism require further study.

White matter abnormalities in schizophrenia patients with tardive dyskinesia: a diffusion tensor image study

OBJECTIVE

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a severe side effect of antipsychotics. While increasing evidence suggests that damaged brain microcircuitry of white matter (WM) is responsible for the clinical symptoms in schizophrenia, no reports of WM abnormality associated with TD were noted.

METHOD

Brain white matter abnormalities were investigated among 20 schizophrenia patients with TD (Schizophrenia with TD group), 20 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched schizophrenic patients without TD (Schizophrenia without TD group), and 20 matched healthy subjects with magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging analysis. Voxel-wise analysis was used to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) maps of the white matter following intersubject registration to Talairach space. Clinical ratings included the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS), and the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS).

RESULTS

The study subjects were 75% female with average of 40.1+/-9. 8 years. The Schizophrenia with TD group had significantly higher PANSS total scores (p=0.024), PANSS negative score (p=0.001), SAS (p<0.001) and AIMS (p<0.001) scores; and demonstrated more widespread FA decreases than the Schizophrenia without TD group, especially over the inferior frontal gyrus, temporal sublobar extranuclear WM (around the basal ganglion), parietal precuneus gyrus WM (around somatosensory cortex), and medial frontal gyrus WM (around dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). The AIMS (p<0.01) and SAS (p<0.01) score positively correlated with decreased FA over these areas, and PANSS negative score positively correlated with FA decrease over medial frontal gyrus WM (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

More widespread abnormality of white matter was noted among schizophrenia patients than those without, especially involved cortico-basal ganglion circuits with clinical symptom correlation of involuntary movements and negative symptoms. Further studies with larger sample size are required to validate the findings.

Haplotype analysis of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) genetic variants and tardive dyskinesia in patients with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES

Several studies have indicated the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of tardive dyskinesia (TD), an incapacitating adverse movement disorder associated with long-term antipsychotic treatment. In human brain, the NO could be generated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3). In this study, we studied whether the genetic variants in human NOS3 gene is associated with TD in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

Two hundred and eighty-two chronic inpatients with schizophrenia treated with typical antipsychotics were recruited in this study. The patients were further grouped by the presence of TD or not according to the Research and Diagnostic Criteria for TD. The genetic variants in the NOS3 gene investigated in this study were -786T > C in the promotor region, 27-bp variable number of tandem repeats (27-bp VNTR) in intron 4, and Glu298Asp in exon 7. The frequencies of genotypes, alleles and haplotypes of the three markers were compared between the TD (n = 153) and non-TD (n = 129) groups.

RESULTS

There were no significant associations between the genotypes and alleles of the three markers and TD. However, in the haplotype-based case-control analysis, the frequency of haplotype T-4b-Glu was significantly higher in non-TD than in TD group (TD vs. non-TD = 72.7% vs. 81.0%, permutation P value = 0.021, OR = 0.648, 95% CI = 0.432-0.973).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the haplotype T-4b-Glu represents a protective haplotype against TD after long-term antipsychotic treatment. This finding suggests that human NOS3 gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of TD.

Improvement of tardive dyskinesia following amisulpride treatment

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a persistent, disturbing side effect of antipsychotic drug treatment. It is established that clozapine and other second generation agents cause less TD and may also improve pre-existing TD. We report a case of significant improvement of TD after the administration of amisulpride, a potential D(2)/D(3) antagonist that has atypical properties. The possible effect of fast dissociation of D(2) receptors is being discussed.

Tardive dyskinesia in the era of typical and atypical antipsychotics. Part 2: Incidence and management strategies in patients with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

Tardive dyskinesia (TD), the principal adverse effect of long-term conventional antipsychotic treatment, can be debilitating and, in many cases, persistent. We sought to explore the incidence and management of TD in the era of atypical antipsychotics because it remains an important iatrogenic adverse effect.

METHODS

We conducted a review of TD incidence and management literature from January 1, 1965, to January 31, 2004, using the terms tardive dyskinesia, management, therapy, neuroleptics, antipsychotics, clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole. Additional articles were obtained by searching the bibliographies of relevant references. We considered articles that contributed to the current understanding of both the incidence of TD with atypical antipsychotics and management strategies for TD.

RESULTS

The incidence of TD is significantly lower with atypical, compared with typical, antipsychotics, but cases of de novo TD have been identified. Evidence suggests that atypical antipsychotic therapy ameliorates long-standing TD. This paper outlines management strategies for TD in patients with schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

The literature supports the recommendation that atypical antipsychotics should be the first antipsychotics used in patients who have experienced TD as a result of treatment with conventional antipsychotic agents. The other management strategies discussed may prove useful in certain patients.

An assessment of emergent tardive dyskinesia and existing dyskinesia in patients receiving long-acting, injectable risperidone: results from a long-term study

INTRODUCTION

Treatment-emergent tardive dyskinesia (TD) can be a serious side effect of antipsychotic treatment. Atypical antipsychotics are associated with a lower risk for TD than are conventional agents. A long-acting atypical antipsychotic, with more stable blood levels and lower peak blood levels than an oral formulation, may provide differential benefit regarding side effects, including movement disorders. This analysis assessed TD by defined research criteria in patients receiving long-acting, injectable risperidone.

METHODS

Clinically stable subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated in a 50-week, open-label trial of long-acting, injectable risperidone. TD was studied by defined research criteria (Schooler, N.R., Kane, J.M., 1982. Research diagnosis for tardive dyskinesia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. 39, 486-487; Americal Psychiatric Association, 2000. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth ed. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC). The severity of dyskinesia and other movement disorders were rated by the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS).

RESULTS

ESRS dyskinesia data were available for 662 patients. Five of 530 subjects without dyskinesia at baseline (0.94%) met the predefined criteria for emergent persistent TD during therapy. Based on either exposure to study medication or Kaplan-Meier analysis, the 1-year rate was 1.19%. Among the 132 subjects with dyskinesia at baseline, the mean score on the ESRS physician's exam for dyskinesia improved significantly at endpoint (-2.77; P<0.0001), regardless of anticholinergic drug use. (P=0.243 for patients with versus without anticholinergic drug use.)

CONCLUSIONS

In this open-label study, treatment with long-acting risperidone was associated with a low rate of emergent persistent TD. Significant improvement in existing dyskinesias was noted. The TD rate reported here is consistent with other reports of atypical antipsychotics and substantially lower than with conventional antipsychotics.

Risperidone for pre-existing severe tardive dyskinesia: a 48-week prospective follow-up study

Atypical antipsychotics can alleviate the severity of tardive dyskinesia, but few studies have monitored their long-term effects. The present study investigated the effect of risperidone on pre-existing severe tardive dyskinesia among 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia over 48 weeks. The total Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score decreased in 35 patients (87.5%) and increased in three patients (7.5%). At the end of the 48-week trial, the mean total AIMS score decreased significantly, from 15.7+/-4.7 (baseline) to 10.6+/-4.4 (P<0.001), with a mean risperidone dosage of 3.6+/-1.5 mg/day. Twenty-three patients (57.5%) were responders with an average total AIMS score decrease of 8.0+/-2.7. Multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender, duration of illness, index hospitalization duration, risperidone dose, anticholinergic concomitant use and dystonia score change revealed that a change in the parkinsonism score was the most significant factor related to responders (odds ratio 3.476, 95% confidence interval 1.173-10.298). A significant improvement observed in tardive dyskinesia was noted at week 8, and this improvement persisted until week 48. The results show that the effect of risperidone on pre-existing tardive dyskinesia may be beneficial.