Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · May 2006
ReviewCurrent animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder: a critical review.
During the last 30 years there have been many attempts to develop animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in the hope that they may provide a route for furthering our understanding and treatment of this disorder. The present paper reviews current genetic, pharmacological and behavioral animal models of OCD, and evaluates their face validity (derived from phenomenological similarity between the behavior in the animal model and the specific symptoms of the human condition), predictive validity (derived from similarity in response to treatment) and construct validity (derived from similarity in the underlying mechanisms--physiological or psychological).
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · May 2006
Comparative StudyDoes work on obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders contribute to understanding the heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
There is a growing literature on the concept of an obsessive-compulsive spectrum of disorders. Here, we consider the different dimensions on which obsessive-compulsive spectrum (OCSDs) lie, and focus on how the concepts from this literature may help understand the heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). ⋯ It is unlikely that OC symptoms and disorders fall on any single phenomenological dimension; instead, multiple different constructs may be required to map this nosological space. Although there is evidence for the validity of some of the relevant dimensions, additional work is required to delineate more fully the endophenotypes that underlie OC symptoms and disorders.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Mar 2006
Comparative Study Clinical TrialPerospirone in the treatment of schizophrenia: effect on verbal memory organization.
The present study was performed to determine if perospirone, a novel antipsychotic drug with D2/5-HT2A antagonist and partial 5-HT1A agonist properties, would improve memory organization in twelve patients with chronic schizophrenia. Switching to equivalent dose of perospirone from prior antipsychotic medication was associated with a significant improvement in indices of verbal memory organization of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Negative symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects were also ameliorated after switching to perospirone. The distinct cognitive enhancement profile of perospirone may be attributable to its partial 5-HT1A agonist action.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Dec 2005
ReviewRole of brain norepinephrine in the behavioral response to stress.
The brain noradrenergic system is activated by acute stress. The post-synaptic effects of norepinephrine (NE), exerted at a cellular or neural circuit level, have been described as modulatory in nature, as NE facilitates responses evoked in target cells by both excitatory and inhibitory afferent input. Over the past few years, we have undertaken a series of studies to understand how these cellular modulatory effects of NE, elicited by acute stress, might translate into modulation of the behavioral-affective components of the whole-animal response to stress. ⋯ On the other side of the same issue, regulatory alterations in noradrenergic neurotransmission, or in the stress-modulatory functions of NE, may be important in the behavioral effects of chronic antidepressant drug treatment. We present recent preliminary results addressing the effects of chronic treatment with the selective NE reuptake inhibitor, desipramine, on acute behavioral reactivity to stress. A better understanding of the role of NE in adaptive responses to acute stress, the pathological consequences of prolonged, repeated or severe stress, and the mechanisms of action of drugs used to treat stress-related diseases, may contribute to the future development of more effective strategies for the treatment or even prevention of such disorders.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Jun 2005
Case ReportsHigh vulnerability to acute dystonic reactions: a case of antipsychotic exposure and uncontrolled seizure activity.
Antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side effects have a negative impact on treatment for mental illness. Acute dystonic reactions are uncomfortable and frightening to the patient, and often lead to early discontinuation of drug therapy and worsened long-term outcome. The lower propensity of the atypical antipsychotic agents to cause extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) has been associated with multiple benefits, including improved adherence. ⋯ We have observed acute dystonias in the absence of antipsychotic treatment and in the context of seizure activity (or paroxysmal dyskinetic activity). The true etiology of the latter dystonic activity has not been completely determined due to the patient's unwillingness to cooperate with invasive testing. None of the gene variations tested (CYP2D6 phenotype, two dopamine D2 receptor variants and one D3 receptor variant) appeared to explain the patient's vulnerability to acute dystonic reactions.