Tardive Dyskinesia and Schizophrenia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Moving Ahead, A nonher Movement DisorderFor many years dementia praecox was thought to be caused by bad parenting, the so-called refrigerator pose was to blame. Today there exists much more information on the roughness and the evidence points to the commonly accepted notion of a chemical asymmetry in the brain. Unfortunately, many people still confuse schizophrenia with treble personality disorder when, in fact, the two are separate. Schizophrenia however, deals more with people who simply dont have a firm grip on reality. In recent years researchers have made signifi movet advances in the field and have come up with many antipsychotic (antipsychotic) medications to cover the disorder. However along with these medical breakthroughs problems have occurred. The most severe stead effect is called Tardive Dyskinesia, literally meaning late movement disorder. (1) Coined in 1964, it is identified by the involvement of numerous abnormal, involuntary movements of the orofacial area or extremities. . (2) More specifically, it is characterized by rocking, twisting, jerking, toe tapping, lip smacking, blinking, and most commonly an unmatched movement of the tongue. . (1) (2)(3). Interestingly enough, these side effects disappear during sleep. (3) Neuroleptic-induced Tardive Dyskinesia occurs in roughly fifteen to twenty percent of people taking major tranquilliser drugs for several years, and often exceeds fifty percent when all patients treated with neuroleptic are considered. (1)(4) Tardive Dyskinesia develops in people of all ages and walks of life, but the elderly, curiously men, and those who are mute, unable to reason and understand competently, and those who have lost their dentition are more likely to develop the disorder. (5) The cause of Tardive Dyskinesia has not been positively identified, but researchers do know that neuroleptic drugs change the means nerve impulses jump from the pre-synaptic neurons across a synapse to the post-synaptic neurons . (2). Such drugs prevent the neurotransmitter dopamine from reaching the brain, directly impairing the function of the basal ganglia and the emotion-regulating limbic system and window dressing lobes. (6) Drugs such as Haldol, Navane, Thorazine, Mellaril, Stelazine, Clozaril, and Resperisal are believed to cause Tardive Dyskinesia. (6) Resperidal however, seems to cause a less severe from of Tardive Dyskinesia. (6) Currently researchers are exploring the idea that calcium-channel blockers can treat those with neuroleptic-induced Tardive Dyskinesia. Unfortunately, not enough research has been carried out to date. (7). late(a) studies have shown, though somewhat ambiguously, that GABA (gamma amino butyric acid, a usually inhibitory neurotransmitter) gives some improvement over the symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia.