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Tardive dyskinesia syndromes in the head and neck region may appear as adverse effects of psychopharmacotherapy. They are caused by blockage of central dopamine receptors. Oftentimes, these disorders persist even after discontinuation of the antipsychotic medication, and they are disabling the patients functionally and psychosocially. Medical therapeutic efforts with different psychopharmaceuticals, benzodiazepines or vitamin-E-preparations are frequently unsuccessful. Local application of botulinum neurotoxin A offers a new treatment modality, which can target the overshooting dysfunction directly at the peripheral muscle.

Twenty-two chronic schizophrenic patients were tested on medication, and then again in a drug-free period, and matched with a group of patients that remained on medication. The subjects' speech, in response to interview questions and Thematic Apperception Test cards, was then analyzed through a series of linguistic measures in an effort to assess the effects of neuroleptic medication on the communication ability of schizophrenics. Results indicated that the medicated patients were more verbally communicative and showed an increase in the complexity and coherence of their speech and a decrease in pathological utterances. The findings suggest that drug treatment can enhance such patients' capacity to utilize verbally oriented psychotherapy.