Work

Pharmacogenetics and outcome with antipsychotic drugs

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Antipsychotic medications are the gold-standard treatment for schizophrenia, and are often prescribed for other mental conditions. However, the efficacy and side-effect profiles of these drugs are heterogeneous, with large interindividual variability. As a result, treatment selection remains a largely trial-and-error process, with many failed treatment regimens endured before finding a tolerable balance between symptom management and side effects. Much of the interindividual variability in response and side effects is due to genetic factors (heritability, h(2)~ 0.60-0.80). Pharmacogenetics is an emerging field that holds the potential to facilitate the selection of the best medication for a particular patient, based on his or her genetic information. In this review we discuss the most promising genetic markers of antipsychotic treatment outcomes, and present current translational research efforts that aim to bring these pharmacogenetic findings to the clinic in the near future.

Source: Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience

DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2014.16.4/jpouget

Authors: Jennie G. Pouget, Tahireh A. Shams, Arun K. Tiwari, Daniel J. Müller

Institutions: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University

Language: English

Topic: Schizophrenia research and treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research