Search

Sertraline (SRT) has been shown to be an effective antidepressant in extensive clinical trial programs but data on plasma concentrations regarding clinical outcome and tolerability are lacking. Twenty-one out-patients of both sexes, with mean age of 50.23 years (S.D. = 17.37), affected by major depressive disorder, recurrent (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder--IV, DSM-IV), were treated with 25-150 mg of SRT once a day (mean=66.26 mg, S.D.=30.50) for 30 days. Clinical evaluation was assessed at baseline (T0), after 15 days (T15), and then after 30 days (T30). Plasma samples for SRT level determination were collected at T30. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRS-A) showed a significant improvement during the study (P

1. To evaluate effective and cognitive dysfunctions in subjects with a marginal form of thyroid hypofunction the authors studied a population of female goiter patients, divided in two groups on the basis of thyroid function: euthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). 2. The SCH patients were treated with levothyroxine (LT4) in order to obtain euthyroidism, as demonstrated by normalization of the hormonal pattern. 3. Both groups were evaluated with a wide range of psychometric tests (Wechsler memory test, scribble test, reaction times) and psychopathological rating scales (Hamilton rating scales for depression and anxiety, brief psychiatric rating scale) at admission and after 3 months. 4. At admission, a significant decrease in logical memory was found in SCH patients; no differences in affectivity ratings were found between the groups. 5. After LT4 treatment, SCH patients showed a significant improvement in some items of memory performance. 6. In conclusion, when interfering factors relating to the perception of disease were excluded by employing euthyroid goiter patients as a comparison group, SCH appeared associated only with memory impairment, while the impairment of affective functions described in previous studies comparing SCH patients with normal controls was not confirmed. A significant improvement of memory skills was induced by LT4 treatment in SCH patients.

1. Clinical activity, tolerability and kinetic profile of L-sulpiride (200–300 mg/die p.o.) in relation to age, in 14 chronic schizophrenic in patients diagnosed according to DSM III-R, typed as negative forms, were studied. 2. The drug showed Its efficacy in negative forms of schizophrenia, without any significant difference between negative and positive symptoms even if productive symptom scores were quite low already in pre-treatment condition. 3. No more side effects (anticholinergic and extrapyramidal) in elderly patients compared to young/adult ones were reported. 4. No significant differences between young/adult and elderly patients for the various pharmacokinetic parameters (t 1 2 , AUC, Cmax, Tmax, Vd and CI), after acute and multiple dosing, were observed.

1. Clinical activity, extrapyramidal side-effects were evaluated in 22 schizophrenic out patients diagnosed according to DSM III and treated with haloperidol decanoate (50-300 mg i.m. monthly dose) for 12 months. 2. BPRS total scores did not show significant fluctuations showing a clinical stability of the patient population. 3. Patients with a duration of illness greater than 10 yrs (Group 2) showed significant (p less than 0.01) higher EPSE total scores compared to those with a duration of illness less than 10 yrs (Group 1). 4. A positive correlation was found between the administered dose and haloperidol plasma levels. 5. Patients from Group 2 reached the steady-state more slowly and showed a lower total L/D ratio compared to those from Group 1. 6. The pharmacokinetic approach seems desirable in order to adjust the dose and avoid schizophrenic relapses.

Altaraura, Alfredo Carlo, Fedele De Novellis, Massimo C. Mauri and Roberto Gomeni: Plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of mianserin after single and multiple dosing in mice. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1987, 11 : 23–33. 1. 1. Pharmacokinetics parameters describing the time course of concentrations of mianserin (MIA) in plasma and brain and the relationship between plasma and brain concentrations were studied after acute and chronic administration of increasing doses of MIA in adult mice. 2. 2. There was a linear relationship between the area under the curve (AUC), the maximum concentration (Cmax) and doses, in plasma and brain, both during acute and chronic experiments (p 3. 3. A five-fold variation in plasma and brain terminal half-life (t 1 2 ) after chronic administration of the drug was observed, possibly due to a reduction in plasma drug clearance (CL). 4. 4. The values of Cmax and AUC in plasma and brain showed an increase of respectively about three and twelve times after chronic treatment. 5. 5. A very good correlation was observed between plasma and brain Cmax in both acute and chronic experiments; brain Cmax was 10.2 (±0.16) times higher than plasma Cmax after acute administration and 12.08 (± 1.33) times higher after chronic administration.