Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 16, Issue 22, 2010

Frontiers in child and adolescent psychopharmacology have moved forward in different aspects. Theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience have come to a point where summarizing and rethinking about steps ahead appears timely and necessary. On the one hand, the prescription rate of psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents has increased over the past decade and has led to many objections [ Read More

Objective: Research on psychopharmacological treatment in children and adolescents is the subject of ongoing ethical discussion, as minors with mental disorders constitute a vulnerable patient group. Considering the important legislative changes in pediatric research over the past decade in both the US and Western Europe, there is a need to review recent developments in this area. Method: Based on a systematic literature r Read More

Randomization is an internationally accepted methodological tool used to perform sound clinical research. To ensure the clinical value of medical interventions, both evidence based medicine and new drug approvals require that randomized controlled trials (RCT) be conducted. Randomization prevents the manipulation of participant allocation and balances unknown confounders in a way no other method can. The gold standar Read More

Chronic pediatric health conditions pose a significant challenge for youth, their families and professionals who treat these conditions. Long-term adherence to interventions, including and often-times, pharmacological interventions, is necessary but often problematic. Understanding factors related to poor adherence and intervening to improve adherence is essential in order to maximize long-term outcomes. Attention-deficit Read More

Objective: As dopamine functioning varies by sex and age it might be expected that the effects of methylphenidate or amfetamine, the psychostimulants used for the treatment of Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), will also be moderated by these factors. Here we review the published literature on whether stimulant effects in ADHD symptoms vary by age and sex. Method: We searched for studies p Read More

Pharmacological intervention with methylphenidate (MPH) is very common and helpful in the treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It ameliorates inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity and improves psychosocial functioning. The core symptoms of ADHD are problematic mainly in demanding structured situations such as in the classroom. It was argued that MPH does not only lead to a decreas Read More

Over the last decade, the number of health economic evaluations has increased substantially in the field of child psychiatry. The objective of the present paper is to offer an overview of economic evaluations of child psychiatric drug treatment. Major electronic databases, as well as abstract booklets from international clinical and health economics conferences with an external peer review process, were examined to search f Read More

Objective: We conducted a systematic review of the literature aiming to identify original studies that have evaluated the effect of genes on the response to medications used to treat psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Results: We included 35 original studies on the pharmacogenetics of childhood psychiatric disorders. Thirty-three studies addressed the association between genes, particularly dopami Read More

In recent years an increased use of psychotropic medication in children has been observed, but little is known about the influence of this medication on brain maturation. Probably, because of methodological problems and/or ethical aspects. It means that only naturalistic observational studies might allow to get some insight in humans. But even animal studies touching this issue are scarce and heterogeneous. Neverthel Read More

The novel technologies in pulmonary drug delivery propelled the development of new strategies for pharmacological intervention in human diseases. In particular, this review will focus on pulmonary parameters which influence the delivery of inhaled therapeutics and summarize novel applications and recent innovations. The central issues of pulmonary drug application are optimal effectiveness under conditions of grea Read More

The tumor suppressor protein, p53 is regarded as a key player in tumor suppression, as it promotes growth arrest, apoptosis and cellular senescence, while also blocking angiogenesis. The plethora of mechanisms underlying the p53 efficient death response involves transcriptional activation or repression of target genes, as well as the recently identified microRNAs, and transcription-independent functions. Pathologi Read More