Cholinergic Drugs for the Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia

Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a neuroleptic-induced hyperkinetic syndrome with involuntary movements mainly in the oral-facial region and often accompanied by dyskinetic movements in trunk and limbs. The mean prevalence of TD with long-term neuroleptic treatment is 20 % (Kane and Smith, 1982; Wöller and Tegeler, 1983). The exact pathogenesis is still unknown, but current theories suggest that a dopaminergic hypersensitivity and a disturbed balance between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in the basal ganglia, together with predispostion, may play a role.