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Patients consistently felt possible TD impacted their lives, regardless of rating method, suggesting clinician assessments might miss its actual burden.

The following is a summary of “Impact of possible tardive dyskinesia on physical wellness and social functioning: results from the real-world RE-KINECT study,” published in the March 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Tanner et al.

Antipsychotic drugs can cause tardive dyskinesia (TD), a persistent and potentially disabling movement disorder. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze  RE-KINECT, a real-world study of antipsychotic users, to explore the potential impact of TD on patients’ health and social interactions.

They analyzed data in Cohort 1 (patients without abnormal involuntary movements) and Cohort 2 (patients with possible TD per clinician judgment). The assessments encompassed EuroQoL’s EQ-5D-5L utility for health, Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) total score for social functioning, as well as severity and impact ratings of possible TD by patients and clinicians (“none,” “some,” “a lot”). Regression models were used to analyze links between elevated severity/impact scores, reduced EQ-5D-5L utility (negative regression coefficients), and increased SDS total score (positive regression coefficients).

The results showed cohort 2 patient-rated TD impact had a highly notable association with EQ-5D-5L utility (regression coefficient: -0.023, P<0.001) and SDS total score (1.027, P<0.001) among patients aware of their abnormal movements. Patient-rated severity was also notably linked with EQ-5D-5L utility (-0.028, P<0.05). Clinician-rated severity was moderately associated with EQ-5D-5L and SDS, but these associations were not statistically notable.

Investigators concluded that patients consistently felt possible TD impacted their lives, regardless of rating method, suggesting clinician assessments might miss its actual burden.

Source: jpro.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41687-023-00551-5