title: Quetiapine in tardive dyskinesia.
abstract: Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a potentially irreversible side-effect of antipsychotic medication. Some atypical antipsychotics, by virtue of their better side-effect profile, seem to have an ability to reverse TD. The importance of trying to treat TD has become more urgent in view of the medico-legal implications of Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, 1998 which states that ''no one shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'': interpretation of this article was successfully used to win a large out-of-court settlement for a patient with TD in our region. Though clozapine has been used in cases with TD, its role is limited, due to the risk of agranulocytosis. We write about three cases with TD who responded well to quetiapine (Seroquel © , AstraZeneca), and suggest that more robust research be carried out to investigate the initial promise. (Int J Psych Clin Pract 2002; 6: 175-177 ).
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chari
authors.forename: Ak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jainer
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ashley-Smith
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cleaver
keywords: Atypical Antipsychotics; Quetiapine; Seroquel; Tardive Dyskinesia