Search

Background: Antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia is frequently associated with extrapyramidal side effects. Objective behavioural measures to evaluate the severity of extrapyramidal side effects in the clinical setting do not exist. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate grasping movements in five drug naive and 13 medicated subjects with schizophrenia and to compare their performance with that of 18 healthy control subjects. Deficits of grip force performance were correlated with clinical scores of both parkinson-like motor disability and psychiatric symptom severity Methods: Participants performed vertical arm movements with a handheld instrumented object and caught a weight that was dropped into a handheld cup either expectedly from the opposite hand or unexpectedly from the experimenter's hand. The scaling of grip force and the temporospatial coupling between grip and load force profiles was analysed. The psychiatric symptom severity was assessed by the positive and negative symptom score of schizophrenia and the brief psychiatric rating scale. Extrapyramidal symptoms were assessed by the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale. Results: Drug naive subjects with schizophrenia performed similar to healthy controls. In contrast, medicated subjects with schizophrenia exhibited excessive grip force scaling and impaired coupling between grip and load force profiles. These performance deficits were strongly correlated with the severity of both extrapyramidal side effects related to antipsychotic therapy and negative symptoms related to the underlying pathology. Conclusions: These data provide preliminary evidence that deficits of sensorimotor performance in schizophrenia are, at least in part, related to the side effects of antipsychotic treatment. The investigation of grasping movements may provide a sensitive measure to objectively evaluate extrapyramidal side effects related to antipsychotic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Drug safety surveillance strongly depends on the spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). A major limiting factor of spontaneous reporting systems is underreporting (UR) which describes incorrectly low reporting rates of ADRs. Factors contributing to UR are numerous and feature country-dependent differences. Understanding causes of and factors associated with UR is necessary to facilitate targeted interventions to improve ADR reporting and pharmacovigilance. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based telephone survey was performed among physicians in outpatient care in a federal state of Germany. Results: From n = 316 eligible physicians n = 176 completed the questionnaire (response rate = 55.7%). Most of the physicians (n = 137/77.8%) stated that they report ADRs which they have observed to the competent authority rarely (n = 59/33.5%), very rarely (n = 59/33.5%) or never (n = 19/10.8%); the majority (n = 123/69.9%) had not reported any ADRs in 2014. Frequent subjective reasons for non-reporting of ADR were (specified response options): lack of time (n = 52/29.5%), the subjective evaluation that the required process of reporting is complicated (n = 47/26.7%) or requires too much time (n = 25/14.2%) or the assessment that reporting of an ADR is needless (n = 22/12.5%); within open answers the participants frequently stated that they do not report ADRs that are already known (n = 72/40.9%) and they only report severe ADRs (n = 46/26.1%). Discussion: Our results suggest a need to inform physicians about pharmacovigilance and to modify the required procedure of ADR reporting or to offer other reporting options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Considering the antidepressant agomelatine (AGM) there is a discrepancy between the widespread knowledge of the potential of AGM to cause hepatotoxic adverse drug reactions (ADR) and the availability of corresponding published data. This impedes an adequate assessment of the hepatotoxicity profile of AGM. Methods: We conducted a query of the database of a German Medical Regulatory Body (BfArM) and analyzed spontaneous reports of hepatotoxic ADR. Results: We identified n=58 cases of AGMrelated hepatotoxic ADR. Most frequent ADR was asymptomatic increase of liver enzymes (79%); n=6 patients (10%) with AGM-related toxic hepatitis were reported. Characteristics of patients: female sex (69%), age > 50 years (mean 54 years), polypharmacy (57%), and presence of cardiovascular risk factors (58.5%). Most of the hepatotoxic ADR (90%) were reported to have improved/ recovered after discontinuation of AGM. Discussion: Our evaluation suggests that AGM features a potential to cause severe forms of hepatotoxicity and emphasizes that a pre-existing liver disease is a contraindication for treatment with AGM. Secondly, increased age, female sex and polypharmacy may be risk factors for the development of AGM-related hepatotoxic ADR [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among antiserotonergic second generation antipsychotics (SGA), particularly treatment with clozapine (CLZ) is associated with the development of second-onset obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) in schizophrenia. However, less is known regarding the factors that increase the individual susceptibility for the development of SGA-associated second-onset OCS in schizophrenia. Here we present the case of a 29-year-old female patient with disorganized schizophrenia who exhibited OCS due to fluvoxamine-induced elevation of CLZ serum levels via inhibition of CYP 1A2 und 2C19. The severity of the observed OCS featured an association with CLZ serum levels. The case illustrates the interaction between fluvoxamine add-on and CLZ serum levels on the development of OCS in schizophrenia and emphasizes the need of regular therapeutic drug monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare, potentially life‐threatening antipsychotic‐associated disorder that requires an efficient and timely therapy. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of different NMS therapies and to analyze its outcome depending on NMS severity. Method: Systematic search for NMS cases in biomedical databases. The focus of the analysis was on therapy with dantrolene, bromocriptine, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) when each was compared with symptomatic therapy. Primary outcomes were the survival rate and the duration of treatment. Result: 405 case reports were included. Overall, no statistically significant differences regarding mortality rate or duration of treatment were found between dantrolene, bromocriptine, or ECT compared to supportive care. A subgroup analysis regarding NMS severity showed that the mortality under specific NMS pharmacotherapy (dantrolene, bromocriptine) and under ECT was significantly lower than under purely symptomatic therapy in severe NMS (P = 0.018). The difference was not significant in mild and moderate cases. Discussion: An overall superiority of the specific NMS therapy (dantrolene, bromocriptine, and ECT) was not found in this study. When regarding severity classification, specific therapies were superior but only in severe cases, and ECT showed the lowest mortality rate. In previous case series, an effect on survival or the duration of the disease could only be observed in part for specific therapies, but the evidence available is inconsistent. The results of this study support our hypothesis that NMS treatment with dantrolene, bromocriptine, and ECT is advantageous over purely symptomatic therapy in severe NMS cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy poses a challenge particularly regarding limited pharmacological possibilities. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have been described to be successful in single cases, however, guidelines are lacking. In order to contribute to the pool of empirical data that is necessary to create evidenced-based recommendations we present a case of successful treatment of major depression with ECT in a pregnant patient with previous nonresponse to rTMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is increasing evidence for an association between treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and an increased risk of bleeding events. The most important underlying mechanism appears to be inhibition of serotonin uptake in platelets, an effect that is also present in antidepressants with non-selective serotonin-reuptake inhibition (NSRI). Accordingly, also NSRI may be associated with an increased risk of bleeding. However, there is little data in this regard. Methods: Based on data (spontaneous reports of adverse drug reactions) from 2 pharmacovigilance databases (WHO-database/VigibaseTM; BfArM/AkdÃ-database in Germany) we used a case/non-case approach and calculated reporting odds ratios (ROR) as measures for disproportionality regarding the association of treatment with an agent of the group SSRI/NSRI and haemorrhages. Results: Whereas both positive control agents (ASS and diclofenac) were statistically associated with haemorrhages in both databases (ASS: BfArM/AkdÃ, ROR 13.71 [95 % CI 12.82 - 14.66]/ WHO, ROR 12.96 [95 % CI 12.75 - 13.16]; diclofenac: BfArM/AkdÃ, ROR 2.80 [95 % CI 2.59 - 3.03]/WHO, ROR 2.11 [95 % CI 2.05 - 2.16]), none of the agents of the group SSRI (ROR < 1) was associated with haemorrhages. In group NSRI, only St. John's wort/hypericum was associated with haemorrhages (WHO-database, ROR 1.31 [95 % CI 1.06 - 1.63]). Discussion: Signal detectioning in 2 pharmacovigilance databases suggests that serotonin reuptake inhibition is not associated with an increased risk of bleeding. However, underreporting may have accounted for the evaluated absent associations, particularly concerning SSRI. Regarding the detected increased risk of bleeding associated with hypericum, pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions may be relevant independent of serotonin reuptake inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Little is known about hepatotoxicity associated with valproic acid (VPA), a widely used substance in neuropsychiatry. Methods: All reported cases to the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices between 1993 and 2009 of VPA-induced serious hepatic side effects were evaluated. Results: A total of 132 cases of serious VPAassociated liver failure were identifi ed. Approximately one third (34.8 %) occurred under VPA monotherapy, while the majority was seen with VPA plus co-medication, most frequently antiepileptics (34.8 %) and benzodiazepines (16.7 %). A subgroup of 34 cases (25.8 %) had a fatal outcome, the largest number reported to date. Of these,32.4 % were under VPA monotherapy and 67.6 % under VPA plus concomitant medication. Within the study period a signifi cant increase in the total number of reported cases and the subgroup of fatal cases was found. Discussion: This first pharmacovigilance study of VPA-associated liver failure indicates a higher rate of non-fatal and fatal liver failure when VPA is given with co-medication as compared to monotherapy. However, co-medication per se does not increase the risk of fatalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 23-year-old male with bulimia nervosa and major depressive disorder who developed hypogonadism and gynecomastia under duloxetine treatment. The patient complained of swelling and tenderness in the breast after four months of duloxetine medication and bilateral mastectomy. The swellings and tenderness of the breast have subsided after discontinuation of the duloxetine medication.