title: The relationship between ECT responsiveness and subtypes of tardive dyskinesia in bipolar patients.
abstract: Despite intensive research, the mechanisms of action of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remain elusive. In addition, there are no known biological factors predicting ECT responsiveness in bipolar patients. A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between ECT responsiveness and tardive dyskinesia (TD), a common side effect of neuroleptic therapy, and its subtypes (i.e., orofacial and limb-axial dyskinesias) in a group of 18 bipolar patients. There was a significant difference in orofacial dyskinesia scores between ECT responders and non-responders (p less than 0.005), while there was no significant association in scores of limb-axial dyskinesia between ECT responders and non-responders. These findings suggest an association between ECT responsiveness and the presence of orofacial dyskinesias in bipolar patients with TD and add further support to the notion that TD is a heterogeneous disorder comprising at least two subtypes with distinct underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sandyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged