Effects of low-dose mirtazapine on driving performance in healthy volunteers.

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether a lower initial dose of mirtazapine can lessen the harmful effect on driving performance or not in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Methods: Thirteen healthy men received 8 days of continuous nocturnal doses of mirtazapine at 7.5 mg or 15 mg, or placebo.

Effects of repeated dosing with mirtazapine, trazodone, or placebo on driving performance and cognitive function in healthy volunteers.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of repeated treatments with the sedative antidepressants mirtazapine and trazodone on driving performance and cognitive function.

Methods: Nineteen healthy men received continuous nocturnal doses of 15-mg mirtazapine , 25-mg trazodone, or placebo for 8 days in a double-blinded, three-way crossover trial. Subjects were asked to perform three driving tasks (road tracking, car following, and harsh braking) using a driving simulator and cognitive tasks (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Continuous Performance Test, and N-back Test) at baseline and on Days 2 and 9.

Effects of sedative antidepressants on prefrontal cortex activity during verbal fluency task in healthy subjects: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Rationale: Japanese researchers have recently conducted studies using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to help diagnose psychiatric disorders based on changes in brain activity. However, the influence of psychotropic drugs on NIRS measurements has not been clarified.

Objective: To assess the effects of sedative antidepressants on prefrontal cortex activity in healthy subjects using NIRS in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Sexual dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia in Japanese schizophrenic patients taking antipsychotics.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction, evaluated by the Nagoya Sexual Function Questionnaire (NSFQ), and hyperprolactinemia in patients with schizophrenia and examine a relationship between sexual dysfunction and serum prolactin levels. This cross-sectional, comparative study was performed using a sample comprising 195 Japanese schizophrenic in- and outpatients treated with antipsychotics (117 males and 78 females). Data were collected from October 2009 to January 2010 using single, cross-sectional ratings of sexual function assessed by the NSFQ and concurrent measurement of serum prolactin levels.

Reliability and validity of a new sexual function questionnaire (Nagoya Sexual Function Questionnaire) for schizophrenic patients taking antipsychotics.

Objective: This study aims to validate a new user-friendly sexual function questionnaire (Nagoya Sexual Function Questionnaire [NSFQ]) for schizophrenic patients taking antipsychotics.

Methods: Schizophrenic outpatients (men = 30, women = 30) were asked to fill out the NSFQ at initial entry into the research program (Time₁) and again 1 to 2 weeks later (Time₂). To assess the convergent validity of the NSFQ, at Time₁, subjects were asked to fill out the Japanese version of the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogekser Side Effect Rating Scale (UKU).