Effect of MK-801 on the Prevention and Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia

ABSTRACT

Tardive dyskinesia(TD) is a serious side effect of long-term treatment with neuroleptic medications. To investigate if glutamatergic hyperfunction is associated with TD, effect of MK-801 on the prevention and treatment of TD was studied using a rat model, i.e., vacuous chewing movements(VCM). When comparing VCM scores of Group I(haldol decanoate+MK-801) with that of Group II(hadol decanoate+phosphate buffer saline), late measured VCM scores of former were significantly lower than that of latter, meaning that MK-801 is effective in the prevention of VCM. Furthermore, when MK-801 is also effective in the treatment of VCM. From the above results, it is suggested that glutamatergic hyperfunction might be involved in the development of TD and MK801 could be effective in the prevention and treatment of it.