Evaluation of Abnormal Movements among Senior Schizophrenics: A Local Study with Reference to Tardive Dyskinesia

Introduction: Tardive dyskinesia (TD) includes involuntary choreiform or athetoid movements of the jaw, lower face, tongue, and extremities, developing in association with the use of an antipsychotic medication, and may develop in about 20 to 40 percent of patients who require long-lasting hospitalization. In the present study, the prevalence of this condition has been measured among an elderly group of schizophrenic patients. Methods: One hundred and one elderly schizophrenic patients, who were hospitalized in the chronic section of a community psychiatric hospital, were selected for the present cross-sectional study. Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) was employed to screen for patients with schizophrenia who also had TD. Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Schedule for Assessment of Insight, and Clinical Global Impressions – Severity of illness, as well, had been used as ancillary scales for evaluation of severity of general psychopathology of schizophrenia, and comparing the TD patients with the group of patients without TD, for probing the intervening parameters. Results: While abnormal movements were clear in 38.61% (n=39) of elderly schizophrenic patients, only seven of them (6.93 %) could be diagnosed as TD, based on the above-mentioned criteria. All of them were using conventional antipsychotic medications, accompanied with anticholinergic medications. Among TD patients, three cases had only abnormal facial and oral movements, one patient had atypical facial and oral movements as well as anomalous extremity movements, one patient had irregular facial and oral movements in addition to unusual trunk movements, and lastly, two patients had nonstandard extremity movements. In addition, around 71% of patients with TD were aware of their unusual movements. Between-group analysis did not show any significant difference between patients with TD and patients without TD in age, duration of illness, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, insight, and general psychopathology. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, the prevalence of Tardive Dyskinesia among elderly schizophrenic patients, who were using typical antipsychotic medications, is very lower than what has been indicated thus far.