Prolactin, subjective well-being and sexual dysfunction: an open label observational study comparing quetiapine with risperidone.

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is a frequent side effect of antipsychotic treatment. Increased prolactin levels are believed to be responsible for this sexual impairment despite contradictory results.

Aim: The primary objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual dysfunction, subjective well-being and prolactin levels in patients with schizophrenia treated either with risperidone or quetiapine.

Sensorimotor gating and habituation of the startle response in schizophrenic patients randomly treated with amisulpride or olanzapine.

Background: Schizophrenic patients exhibit impairments in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and habituation of the acoustic startle response (ASR). Recent studies suggested that PPI deficits and habituation deficits are normalized after antipsychotic treatment. Despite clear evidence of gating and habituation mechanisms in animal models, it is still unknown which neurotransmitter systems are involved in schizophrenic patients.

Plasma testosterone and sexual function in men receiving buprenorphine maintenance for opioid dependence.

High-dose methadone is well known to cause testosterone deficiency and sexual dysfunction in opioid-dependent men. Buprenorphine is a new drug for the pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence. Its influence on the gonadal axis has not been investigated to date.

Non-functioning pituitary adenomas: endocrinological and clinical outcome after transsphenoidal and transcranial surgery.

Aim: To study improvement of anterior pituitary function after transsphenoidal and transcranial surgery of non-functioning (NF) pituitary macro- and microadenomas.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 155 patients with NF adenomas preoperatively and 3 months, 1 year and 2 years postoperatively. 130 patients harboured a macroadenoma, 109 underwent transsphenoidal (group one), 21 transcranial surgery (group two).