Haloperidol-Induced Preclinical Tardive Dyskinesia Model in Rats

Haloperidol is a first-generation antipsychotic used in the treatment of psychoses, especially schizophrenia. This drug acts by blocking dopamine D2 receptors, reducing psychotic symptoms. Notwithstanding its benefits, haloperidol also produces undesirable impacts, in particular extrapyramidal effects such as tardive dyskinesia (TD), which limit the use of this and related drugs. TD is characterized by repetitive involuntary movements occurring after chronic exposure therapy with haloperidol. Symptoms most commonly manifest in the orofacial area and include involuntary movements, tongue protrusion, pouting lips, chewing in the absence of any object to chew, and facial grimacing. The most serious aspect of TD is that it may persist for months or years after drug withdrawal and is irreversible in some patients. This unit, aimed at facilitating the study of TD, describes methods to induce TD in rats using haloperidol, as well as procedures for evaluating the animals's TD-related symptoms. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.