Academic Highlights March 14, 2008

Clinical Insights Into Pharmacogenetics and Schizophrenia, Part 1

John M. Kane, MD; Roy H. Perlis, MD, PhD; Anil K. Malhotra, MD

J Clin Psychiatry 2008;69(3):487-494

Article Abstract

Click to enlarge page

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of course and treatment response. The field of pharmacogenetics, which seeks to reveal how genetic factors affect patients’ response to drugs, holds promise to help clinicians develop a better understanding of antipsychotic therapy,1 such as which patients might respond better or worse to specific agents or treatment in general or which patients might be at particular risk for serious adverse effects.

What do practicing psychiatrists need to know about using genetic tests?