TARDIVE AKATHISIA IN PEOPLE WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION

This study of tardive akathisia (TA) investigates the claim that chron ic administration of antipsychotic drugs causes emergence of challengi ng behaviors. The study comprised three parts. In Part 1, 243 patients with mental retardation were examined and rated for the movements and behaviors associated with tardive akathisia. The movements and behavi ors were associated with prescribing of antipsychotic drugs. In Part 2 , ratings of patients who previously were successfully withdrawn and p atients who could not be withdrawn from antipsychotic drug therapy wer e compared Background ratings were the same for both groups. In Part 3 , descriptions of the behaviors that emerged upon withdrawal of antips ychotic drugs were compared to the description of behaviors that were evident prior to any prescribing The descriptions were similar. The as sociation of TA movements and behaviors with antipsychotic drugs and t he worsening of such behaviors upon drug withdrawal have led others to believe that antipsychotic drugs cause TA. The similarity between the initial prevalence of TA movements and behaviors and incidence of TA following unsuccessful withdrawal of antipsychotic drug would suggest that this was not the case.