Topic
Psychotropic drug
About: Psychotropic drug is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2309 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54070 citations.
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TL;DR: Lithium therapy should be used only for severe mood disorders, and certainly lithium treatment should be efficiently controlled in order to avoid lithium intoxication, which can result in sudden deterioration in renal function, and which is the most important complication of long term lithium treatment.
Abstract: Lithium is a valuable psychotropic drug, but its therapeutic index is low. As the lithium ion is almost exclusively eliminated by the kidneys, reduced renal lithium elimination may lead to increasing serum lithium levels and lithium intoxication. Since lithium intoxication may be complicated by acute renal insufficiency, which will further delay lithium elimination, a ‘vicious circle’ can be established. Fluid therapy of any kind has been shown to have only a very limited effect on renal lithium elimination during lithium intoxication. The most efficient method for eliminating lithium from the body is through haemodialysis treatment. Peritoneal dialysis is slower but also effective. Dialysis treatment has to be carried out long enough to ensure a serum lithium concentration of less than 1mmol/L after equilibrium between intracellular and plasma lithium is established.
48 citations
TL;DR: Reviewing alterations in the CRF system reported in several psychiatric conditions and describing the clinical trials of CRF1 receptor antagonists that have been conducted suggest corticotropin-releasing factor signaling as a target for new psychotropic drug development.
48 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, various psychotropic drugs were tested, which modified two components of exploratory behaviour in the rat, including the scores of rearing and the number of steps climbed during three minutes.
Abstract: The “staircase” is a simple and rapid test and was used to study two components of exploratory behaviour in the rat. The scores of rearing and the number of steps climbed during three minutes were recorded. Various psychotropic drugs were tested, which modified these two parameters. Neuroleptic induced a parallel decrease of both, while benzodiazepines, meprobamate, amobarbitone and ethanol decreased the rearing at doses which left the steps climbed unchanged. At high doses, there was a parallel decrease of both parameters. Amphetamine, at lower doses, increased the rearing score alone. The comparison of the studied psychotropic drug effects with those of two muscle relaxants (by a comparison of the slopes of regression lines) suggests that either the observed benzodiazepine effects were only partly due to their myorelaxant action, or, that both myorelaxants have some anxiolytic action. The effect of amphetamine at low doses can be viewed as a demonstration of increased anxiety.
48 citations
TL;DR: This study compares the paired serum and salivary Cortisol levels of 60 children and adolescents, obtained while performing a routine Dexamethasone Suppression Test, and supports the use of salivARY measures of cortisol for children and teenagers.
Abstract: This study compares the paired serum and salivary Cortisol levels of 60 children and adolescents, obtained while performing a routine Dexamethasone Suppression Test. The results reveal significant ...
48 citations
TL;DR: The benzodiazepine era began almost 30 years ago, in style; the drugs were safe in overdose, had greater efficacy than the barbiturates, and had virtually no unwanted effects, apart from sedation when given in excessive dosage.
Abstract: For the past 20 years, benzodiazepines have been the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs. It is now difficult to imagine the excitement produced by this new class of compounds. Existing anti-anxiety drugs, mainly the barbiturates, were known to be dangerous in overdosage, tend to cause addiction, and have many side-effects. Previous compounds, including opium, alcohol, chloral, and bromides, were similarly burdened. The benzodiazepine era began almost 30 years ago, in style. “Four hours after being given chlordiazepoxide on New Year's day 1958, one of 12 chronically anxious but therapeutically recalcitrant patients previously studied by Tobin and N. D. C. Lewis telephoned that for the first time in many years he was totally free from symptoms” (Hordern, 1968). The early studies were all enthusiastic and confirmed the therapeutic potential of the drug (Tobin et al, 1960; Jenner et al, 1961). In the ‘tranquilliser decade’ of the 1970s, prescriptions of benzodiazepines increased at a rate that was perceived as alarming, ‘the relentless march of the psychotropic drug juggernaut’ (Trethowan, 1975). This concern was related more to the inappropriate use of these drugs for treating personal problems than to the demonstration of dangers with these compounds. The dangers, however, appeared to be remarkably few; the drugs were safe in overdose, had greater efficacy than the barbiturates (Lader et al, 1974), and had virtually no unwanted effects, apart from sedation when given in excessive dosage. It was therefore hardly surprising that they proved so popular with clinicians. As Priest (1980) commented when benzodiazepine prescription was at its peak: “it is a tremendous boon to the medical profession to have active weapons in the fight against misery that are not only effective but are relatively safe when abused by despairing and desperate patients”.
48 citations