Closing the Neurology-Psychiatry Gap in Tardive Dyskinesia Care in Asia

Expert recommendations from a multidisciplinary panel of psychiatrists and neurologists representing clinical settings in Thailand, Japan, Korea, and China propose a structured education and competency framework for tardive dyskinesia (TD), which remains an under-recognized medication safety issue across multiple Asian healthcare systems, compounded by fragmented care delivery between psychiatry and neurology and an absence of cross-disciplinary professional education.

The expert recommendations emphasize the need for collaborative initiatives targeting rational antipsychotic prescribing, proactive clinical monitoring, standardized assessment and diagnosis, patient and caregiver education, and timely specialist referral pathways. Grounded in real-world perspectives, the proposed neurology-psychiatry framework spans undergraduate medical curricula, residency training, and continuing medical education through interdisciplinary coursework, joint workshops, and locally adapted multilingual clinical resources.

The authors suggest that effective deployment of this educational framework should be supported by national professional societies and the development of shared-care pathways with monitored clinical outcomes. Enhancing cross-disciplinary knowledge, skills, and attitudes through these measures is intended to improve TD detection, reduce avoidable symptom progression, and foster coordinated, patient-centered care.

Key Takeaways