Atypical antipsychotic drugs and tardive dyskinesia: relevance of D-2 receptor affinity

Evidence suggests atypical antipsychotic treatment is associated with a Lower incidence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) than typical antipsychotic drugs, and is a potential antidyskinetic treatment. We present the case of a middle-aged woman never previously exposed to antipsychotic treatment who developed TD after 6 months of olanzapine monotherapy. Substitution of quetiapine for otanzapine alleviated her TD symptoms. the case demonstrates that atypical antipsychotic drugs have different effects in relation to TD. Potential psychopharmacological mechanisms explaining these differences are discussed, highlighting the importance of D-2 receptor occupancy by atypical antipsychotic drugs for TD.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psiquiatria, UNIFESP, BR-04026001 São Paulo, SP, BrazilInst Psychiat, Dept Psychol Med, Sect Neurochem Imaging & Psychiat, London SE5 8AF, EnglandUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psiquiatria, UNIFESP, BR-04026001 São Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc