Abstract
We followed the course of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in 21 schizophrenic patients with abnormal involuntary movements who were discontinued from depot fluphenazine for up to 1 year. Over time there was a statistically significant decrease in TD ratings following discontinuation; in 7 of the 21 patients clinically meaningful decreases in the abnormal involuntary movements occurred. Unfortunately, 15 of the 21 patients relapsed and had to be put back on neuroleptics within that year. In contrast, a group of ten patients with abnomal involuntary movements were kept on fluphenazine decanoate (average dose 45 mg intramuscularly every 2 weeks) for 1 year. Only one of these ten patients relapsed and a clinically significant decrease in TD did not occur as only one patient had a clinically meaningful worsening of abnormal involuntary movements.