Discontinuation syndrome associated with paroxetine in depressed patients: a retrospective analysis of factors involved in the occurrence of the syndrome.

Objective: To examine the factors that contribute to the occurrence of the discontinuation syndrome in patients who have received paroxetine to treat depression.

Method: The clinical records of individuals from the outpatient units of two centres in the western area of Japan who had had a single episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) and had completed monotherapy with paroxetine in the previous 5 years were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had been diagnosed with MDD according to the DSM-IV criteria.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of risperidone for untreated and treated cases of schizophrenia from various aspects.

The present study used a diversified approach to the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of the atypical antipsychotic risperidone, and the most appropriate method of switching the medication of patients undergoing alternative therapies; particularly, the widely used typical antipsychotic haloperidol. A study group of 120 patients with CYP2D6*1/*1 was subdivided into an untreated group of 20 (group A) and two groups of 50 previously treated patients (groups B and C) with haloperidol only, for more than 5 years. All patients began risperidone therapy at 2 mg/day b.

Positive association between panic disorder and polymorphism of the serotonin 2A receptor gene.

Family and twin studies have shown that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of panic disorder. However, linkage and association studies using DNA markers have yielded inconclusive results. Increased serotonin neurotransmission may cause or be related to panic disorder.

The influence on the schizophrenic symptoms by the DRD2Ser/Cys311 and -141C Ins/Del polymorphisms.

The hyperactivity of dopaminergic systems is one of the major etiological hypotheses of schizophrenia. The major support for this hypothesis is that effective antipsychotic drugs bind to dopamine receptors and improve acute schizophrenic symptoms. For this reason, we investigated the allelic association between schizophrenia and polymorphisms of the DRD2 genes for the Ser/Cys311 and -141C Ins/Del.