Reduction of dyskinesias and psychiatric disability with clozapine over different time courses

Nine subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated with clozapine, 500 mg/day for at least 3 months. Each was affected by tardive dyskinesia whose severity was reduced significantly after 3 months of treatment but not at earlier monthly assessments. In contrast, psychiatric symptoms were lessened significantly after 1 month. The more delayed improvement of dyskinesia as compared to the pace of psychiatric improvement suggests a differential effect of the drug.