First there was CATIE then, earlier this week, AHRQ reported (in the August 14th Annals of Internal Medicine) that second-generation antipsychotics are not much better than the earlier incarnations at treating positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. That's just Son of Sham.
Now here’s some important news.
According to research published in Nature Neuroscience, scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism for resistance to antipsychotic medications. Researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City found that "long-term administration of atypical antipsychotic drugs selectively upregulates expression of the enzyme histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in both mouse and human frontal cortex." That "epigenetic change, which is dependent on serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) upregulation, leads to lower expression of the metabotropic glutamate 2 receptor (mGlu2), thereby limiting the therapeutic effects of atypical antipsychotic therapy, often leading to a recurrence of psychotic symptoms."
Personalized medicine anyone?
