Tardive dystonia

Other names: Acute dystonia / Acute dystonic reaction 

Type: Focal

Tardive dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterised by continuous or intermittent muscle contractions which cause abnormal, often painful, repetitive movements. It is a side effect of taking certain medication to treat other conditions.

There are several neurological movement disorders that result as side effects from medication. As a group, these are called tardive dyskinesias, and include facial tics and irregular, dance-like movements called choreas. Tardive dystonia is one type of tardive dyskinesia in which the involuntary movements tend to be slower and writhing.

In most cases, individuals will have an acute dystonic reaction / acute dystonia, where the symptoms tend to be acute but short-lived. Most of these acute reactions can be successfully treated with injectable anticholinergic medication which will usually end the episode.

Tardive dystonia is a more taxing condition as it can be permanent. Occasionally, symptoms do disappear but unfortunately this is rare (around 1 in 10 cases). Research suggests that, if the medication causing the tardive dystonia has been taken for only a short period of time, remission of symptoms is more likely than if the medication has been taken for a longer period.