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.


Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a chronic and potentially incapacitating hyperkinetic disorder linked to the administration of antipsychotic medications. The effects of possible tardive dyskinesia on antipsychotic-treated outpatients’ health and social functioning were assessed by analyzing data from RE-KINECT, a real-world study. Cohorts 1 and 2 were subjected to analyses, where Cohort 1 consisted of patients who did not exhibit any abnormal involuntary movements, while Cohort 2 comprised patients suspected of having TD based on clinical evaluation. The evaluations conducted encompassed EuroQoL’s EQ-5D-5L utility for health, Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) total score for social functioning, as well as assessments of the severity of potential TD as rated by both the patient and clinician (“none,” “some,” “a lot”) and the impact of possible TD as rated by the patient (“none,” “some,” “a lot”). The study utilized regression models to examine the correlation between higher severity or impact scores and lower EQ-5D-5L utility, as indicated by negative regression coefficients. Additionally, the study analyzed the relationship between higher severity or impact scores and higher SDS total scores, as indicated by positive regression coefficients.

In patients belonging to Cohort 2 who exhibited abnormal movements and were cognizant of the same, there was a significant and strong correlation between the impact of tardive dyskinesia as rated by the patients themselves and the EQ-5D-5L utility (regression coefficient: − 0.023, P < 0.001) and SDS total score (1.027, P < 0.001). The patient-assessed severity significantly correlated with EQ-5D-5L utility (− 0.028, P < 0.05). The clinician-rated severity demonstrated a moderate correlation with both EQ-5D-5L and SDS. However, these correlations did not reach statistical significance. The patients exhibited uniformity in their assessment of the effects of potential tardive dyskinesia on their quality of life, as determined by both subjective evaluations (categorized as “none,” “some,” or “a lot”) and standardized assessment tools (EQ-5D-5L, SDS). The clinician-assessed severity of tardive dyskinesia (TD) may not consistently align with the patient’s subjective evaluation of the magnitude of TD.

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

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