Tardive dyskinesia in elderly patients: an update.

The use of antipsychotic agents can be limited by side effects, particularly extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD). These neurologic movement disorders can occur early in the course of treatment (often as EPS) or as a more latent effect (TD). TD can be debilitating, and several patient-related and treatment-related factors have been associated with an increased risk for its development. Of these, older age has been strongly linked to TD. The advent of novel antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia and severe behavioral disorders permits the use of such agents with reduced risk of EPS and TD. Most clinical trials of the novel antipsychotics have enrolled younger patients, but some data on their efficacy and safety in the elderly are now available. This article reviews the relationship between TD and aging and its treatment in elderly patients.