Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is an involuntary neurological movement disorder caused by the use of dopamine receptor blocking drugs that are prescribed to treat certain psychiatric or gastrointestinal conditions. Long-term use of these drugs may produce biochemical abnormalities in the area of the brain known as the striatum. The reasons that some people who take these drugs may get tardive dyskinesia, and some people do not, is unknown. Tardive dystonia is a more severe form of tardive dyskinesia in which slower twisting movements of the neck and trunk muscles are prominent.
Disease descriptions courtesy of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). To browse their extensive Rare Disease Database - including contact information for related organizations - visit their website at .www.rarediseases.org.
For more information about Rare Disease Day, see rarediseaseday.org.
