Pharmacogenetic Studies of Psychotropic Drug-Induced Adverse Effects

Psychotropic drugs, like antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers and anxiolytics, are effective for alleviation of certain psychiatric symptoms, however, the adverse-effects (AEs) associated with these psychotic medications may limit their use, and even cause serious outcomes. Individual differences in psychotropic-related AEs suggest that genetic components may play a major role. During the past 10-15 years, dramatic advances in molecular biology have led to the modern era of pharmacogenetics, with variability in drug response, which includes both therapeutic benefits and AEs, attributed to genetic factors discovered in different populations. Thus, identification of the genetic variations that influence drug-related AEs will facilitate pre-treatment selection and development of drugs that are safe for individual patients, based on their idiosyncratic pharmacogenetic profile. We review recent pharmacogenetic investigations of psychotropic-related AEs, proposing several recommendations for future study of psychotropic-induced AEs.