EARLY COURSE OF NEW-ONSET TARDIVE-DYSKINESIA IN OLDER PATIENTS

The risk of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia (TD) in older patie nts is known to be high, yet the course of Tn in older patients has no t been systematically studied. We followed 69 middle-aged and elderly outpatients newly diagnosed with TD in a naturalistic, longitudinal, p rospective fashion. Standardized assessment instruments were administe red to measure psychopathology, cognitive impairment, and abnormal mov ements. We observed a highly fluctuating early course of to. Although the cumulative proportion of patients whose TD partially remitted was quite high (56% at 3 months, and 80% at 6 months), the cumulative prop ortion of patients whose TD relapsed (post-remission) was also high (3 3% at 3 months and 54% at 6 months). These findings may have clinical as well as theoretical implications for Tn in older subjects.