TARDIVE-DYSKINESIA, TARDIVE DYSTONIA, AND TARDIVE TOURETTES-SYNDROME IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

This article summarizes the current clinical literature on adverse non parkinsonian motor side effects of neuroleptic use in children and ado lescents. The research diagnoses for Tardive Dyskinesia by Schooler an d Kane (1982) served as a framework for comparing the early literature to more recent studies of various forms of tardive dyskinesia. Patien t demographics, medication-related variables, symptom duration, topogr aphy, and prevalence were reviewed. Neuroleptic-associated tardive dys tonia and tardive Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome are also considered . Prevalence rates of tardive dyskinesia during neuroleptic treatment typically range from a mean of 1 to 4.8% (compared to about 20% in adu lts), and the mean rate for withdrawal tardive dyskinesia is approxima tely 22% (compared to 34% in adults). There are no documented cases of permanent tardive dyskinesia, but tardive dyskinesia in youth has bee n reported in some cases to last up to 4.5 years. Further systematic i nvestigation is necessary to clearly identify risk factors associated with these disorders, which at present appear to be similar to risk fa ctors for tardive dykinesia in adults.