Antipsychotics in the treatment of mood disorders and risk of tardive dyskinesia

Psychosis occurs commonly in patients with mood disorders and has tradition ally been treated with typical antipsychotics. Exposure to typical antipsyc hotics poses a risk for the emergence of tardive dyskinesia. Atypical antip sychotics may have advantages over typical agents in the treatment of patie nts with mood disorders complicated by psychotic features. The studies of t ypical and atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of mood disorders were reviewed. Similarly, studies regarding the risk of tardive dyskinesia from typical and atypical agents in patients with mood disorders were surveyed. Typical and atypical antipsychotics appear to be comparably effective in th e treatment of acute mania. Limited data regarding these medications in psy chotic depression are available. Advantages of atypical antipsychotics incl ude, for most agents, minimal extrapyramidal and prolactin effects, inheren t thymoleptic activity, and lower rates of tardive dyskinesia. Atypical ant ipsychotics appear to have a number of advantages over typical agents in th e treatment of patients with psychotic mood disorders.