Treatment of refractory tardive dyskinesia with donepezil in an elderly patient with depression

Abstract

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a neurological disorder caused by the prolonged administration of dopamine antagonists, usually antipsychotics and especially first-generation antipsychotics. Herein, we report on an elderly patient suffering from TD with depression induced by amoxapine, an antidepressant that antagonizes dopamine receptors. This case report demonstrates the therapeutic effect of donepezil even for TD due to amoxapine, corroborating the view that donepezil is beneficial for the treatment of TD induced by dopamine antagonists. A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial is required to confirm the usefulness of donepezil in the treatment of dopamine antagonist-induced TD. © 2008 The Author Journal compilation © 2008 The Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.