Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related Disorders section of this report:

• Tourette Syndrome
• Huntington Disease
• Cerebral Palsy
• Dystonia

Tardive Dyskinesia is characterized by involuntary and abnormal movements of the jaw, lips and tongue. Typical symptoms include facial grimacing, sticking out the tongue, sucking or fish-like movements of the mouth. In some cases, the arms and/or legs may also be affected by involuntary rapid, jerking movements (chorea), or slow, writhing movements (athetosis). Symptoms of Tardive dystonia include the facial movements of Tardive dyskinesia plus muscle spasms in other parts of the body.

Tardive Dyskinesia is caused by long-term use of a class of drugs known as neuroleptics. Neuroleptic drugs are often prescribed for management of certain mental, neurological, or gastrointestinal disorders. Neuroleptic drugs block dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is a chemical that helps brain cells to communicate. Although most cases occur after a person has taken these drugs for several years, some cases may occur with shorter use of neuroleptic drugs.

Tardive Dyskinesia affects individuals who have been taking neuroleptic drugs for a long period of time. A high percentage of schizophrenic people who have spent long periods of time taking these drugs have a high risk of developing TD. However, neuroleptic drugs are also prescribed for some digestive disorders and other neurologic illnesses.

Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Tardive Dyskinesia. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:

Huntington’s Disease (also known as Huntington's Chorea or "Woody Guthrie’s disease") is an inherited neurological illness. Those affected experience involuntary movements, loss of motor control, changes in gait, loss of memory, and in some cases, dementia. In general, the first symptoms of HD appear between thirty and fifty years of age. HD runs a progressive course, severely weakening patients usually over a ten to twenty year period, whereas there is no degeneration in Tardive Dyskinesia. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Huntington" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder characterized by impaired muscle control or coordination (motor output system) resulting from injury to the brain during its early stages of development (the fetal, perinatal, or early childhood stages). There may be associated problems with sensory input, such as vision or hearing defects, central processing (such as communication), intellectual or perceptual deficits, and/or seizures. People with CP can have slow facial and tongue movements, which may resemble TD. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Cerebral Palsy" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological movement disorder which begins in childhood between the ages of two and sixteen. The disorder is characterized by involuntary muscular movements called "tics", and uncontrollable vocal sounds. Sometimes inappropriate words may unavoidably be spoken. Tourette Syndrome is not a degenerative disorder and those affected can expect to live a normal life span. Neuroleptic drugs such as haloperidol and pimozide can be prescribed as treatments for TS, so it may be difficult to determine whether facial and tongue movements in TS patients are caused by the disorder or the drugs. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Tourette" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)

Dystonia is a group of complex movement disorders with various in its causes, treatments, progression, and symptoms. These neurological conditions are characterized by involuntary muscle contractions which force certain parts of the body into abnormal, sometimes painful movements and positions. Dystonia is not a single disease, but a set of symptoms that often cannot be attributed to a single cause. Both genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to all forms of dystonia. The major characteristics of all forms of dystonia are twisting, repetitive writhing movements affecting particular parts of the body (for example, the neck or an arm). Tardive dystonia is believed to be the most severe form of Tardive dyskinesia. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Dystonia" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)

Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia initially consists of discontinuing the neuroleptic drug as soon as involuntary facial movements are noticed in people taking neuroleptic drugs. In some cases, physicians may decide to reinstitute the neuroleptic drug if the Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms do not disappear and if they become very severe after medication is discontinued.

Studies are ongoing to determine possible new drug therapies for the treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia. These drugs include choline, lithium, bromocriptine, baclofen, methyldopa, valproate, clonidine, propranolol, amantadine, clonazepam, and nifedipine. Many other experimental drugs are being tested to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia. For more information about these studies, please contact the agencies listed in the Resources section of this report.

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