Restless tongue: Lingual Tardive Dyskinesia – A rare case report

Abstract

Tardive Dyskinesia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary repetitive body movements, like chewing motions, cheek puffing, tongue protrusion and lip pursing. These symptoms appear during sleep and/or wakefulness. Report of involuntary movements of tongue is very rare, with a prevalence of only 15%–20%. Risk factors include old age, female gender, and patients receiving drugs with anti-dopaminergic activity, for long term. We report a case of 62 years old male patient with a long history of antidepressants and mood stabilizers, who presented with involuntary tongue movements. The patient was treated by altering the dose and discontinuation of a few medicines, which resulted in a slight decrease in the frequency of the movement. The case is discussed here to spread awareness and vigilance about this condition, in order to aid in early diagnosis and management, to avoid negative impacts on psychologic health and quality of life of the patient.