Incidence of tardive dyskinesia with atypical versus conventional antipsychotic medications: a prospective cohort study.

When the atypical antipsychotics became available, it was hoped that they would be associated with a lower risk of tardive dyskinesia (TD) than the older conventional antipsychotics. A 2004 systematic review of early conventional-controlled and other studies indicated that the evidence seemed to support the idea that this hope had been realized.1 As noted in the review, however, few of the existing studies were designed to focus on TD and its accurate identification. It is possible that a limited focus on TD diagnosis could have introduced bias in favor of atypicals.2 The primary aim of the current study was to compare the incidence of TD among users of atypical and conventional antipsychotics. Methods were similar to those from a previous TD incidence study conducted at our site during the conventional antipsychotic era. 3, 4