BACKGROUND Most evidence suggesting an association between schizophrenia, antipsychotic medications and diabetes has been based on retrospective studies not controlled for important confounders. AIMS To compare diabetogenic risk between antipsychotic medications; and to describe the limitations of current prospective data-sets. METHOD Systematic review of prospective clinical data. RESULT...

BACKGROUND The optimal pharmacological treatment of unipolar psychotic depression is uncertain. AIMS To compare the clinical effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for patients with unipolar psychotic depression. METHOD Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. RESULTS Ten trials were included in the review. We found no evidence that the combination of an a...

BACKGROUND Atypical antipsychotic drugs have been reported to cause fewer incidences of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) than typical antipsychotic drugs, but adverse events such as akathisia have been observed even with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Although understanding of the pathophysiology of akathisia remains limited, it seems that a complex interaction of several neurotransmitter syste...

There is urgent need for the development of mechanistically different and less side-effect prone antipsychotic compounds. The endocannabinoid system has been suggested to represent a potential new target in this indication. While the chronic use of cannabis itself has been considered a risk factor contributing to the development of schizophrenia, triggered by the phytocannabinoid delta-9-tetrah...

This naturalistic study analysed the association between cumulative lifetime antipsychotic dose and cognition in schizophrenia after an average of 16.5 years of illness. Sixty participants with schizophrenia and 191 controls from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 were assessed at age 43 years with a neurocognitive test battery. Cumulative lifetime antipsychotic dose-years were collected fr...

INTRODUCTION Hyperprolactinemia is a common side-effect of antipsychotic treatment. Antipsychotics and hyperprolactinemia are both considered risk factors of metabolic disturbances and diabetes. Investigations on prolactin response to meal ingestion in antipsychotic-treated patients are missing. MATERIAL AND METHODS In a case-control design, 49 antipsychotic-treated, clinically stable, non-di...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this survey is to determine the pattern of antipsychotic drug use in patients with psychotic disorders, living in board and care facilities and to investigate the related factors. METHODS We evaluated the antipsychotic drug use pattern in outpatients with psychotic disorders according to DSM-IV, living in board and care facilities. Patients using polypharmacy at least ...

BACKGROUND Second-generation antipsychotic drugs have been reported to cause fewer incidences of extrapyramidal side effects (EPSs) than typical antipsychotic drugs, but adverse events such as akathisia have been observed even with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Although understanding of the pathophysiology of akathisia remains limited, it seems that a complex interplay of several neurotransmitt...

AIM Patient populations that are prescribed antipsychotic agents have higher cardiovascular mortality rates. The risk of myocardial infarction is influenced by various factors that are more prevalent in patients with a mental illness. The aim of this review was to determine whether the use of antipsychotic agents is associated with the incidence of myocardial infarction in adults. METHODS Usi...

Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia taking firstor second-generation antipsychotic drugs may switch to treatment with Aripiprazole due to side effects. This atypical antipsychotic launched in Europe in 2004, and has a better reported safety profile. However, patients also discontinue Aripiprazole, despite the lack of a comparable alternative antipsychotic. As very few data are available in ...