Neuroleptic medication is the most common neurobehavioral treatment among elderly institutionalized patients. The use of neuroleptics is increasing despite the well-known finding that these medications place patients at undue risk for disturbing side effects such as tardive dyskinesia (TD). This concern culminated in the enactment of congressional legislation implemented in 1991 which mandates monitoring the use of neuroleptics in the nursing home setting. Currently, there are no reliable, quantitative T~ monitoring systems which effectively identify patients at risk for developing TD that can be used in a nursing home setting by untrained personnel. The project's Scientific Investigator has spent over five years developing and validating a laboratory-based system for assessing risk for TD. This project will merge his technology with the Offeror's portable data acquisition system. The overarching goal of the project is to develop a portable automated instrumental procedure for assessing motor risk factors for TD in nursing home patients exposed to neuroleptics. The system will be completely self-contained, provide simple feedback to patients and staff, provide a valid, reliable measure of the behavior being monitored, and be easy to use by nursing home staff. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: A portable system that estimates the risk of developing TD in elderly patients, satisfies the legal requirements for monitoring nursing home patients exposed to neuroleptics to reduce the patient's risk, and reduces medicolegal liability stemming from caregiver negligence. The device may be used wherever neuropsychiatric patients are placed on neuroleptics to provide objective long-term patient monitoring, without requiring highly trained personnel.
