CJO - Abstract - The relationship between subjective well-being and dopamine D<sub>2</sub> receptors in patients treated with a dopamine partial agonist and full antagonist antipsychotics

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The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2009), 12 : 715-721 Cambridge University Press
doi:10.1017/S1461145709000327 (About doi)
Published online by Cambridge University Press 15 Apr 2009
 
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The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2009), 12:715-721 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © CINP 2009
doi:10.1017/S1461145709000327

Brief Report

The relationship between subjective well-being and dopamine D2 receptors in patients treated with a dopamine partial agonist and full antagonist antipsychotics

Romina Mizrahia1a2 c1, David Mamoa1a2, Pablo Rusjana1, Ariel Graffa1, Sylvain Houlea1a2 and Shitij Kapura3

a1 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, PET Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
a2 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
a3 Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
Article author query
mizrahi r PubMed  Google Scholar
mamo d PubMed  Google Scholar
rusjan p PubMed  Google Scholar
graff a PubMed  Google Scholar
houle s PubMed  Google Scholar
kapur s PubMed  Google Scholar

Abstract

Antipsychotic drugs produce unpleasant subjective experiences, which have been associated with high levels of dopamine D2 receptor occupancy. Aripiprazole is a partial agonist antipsychotic, which is hypothesized to produce a different subjective experience profile compared to standard D2 antagonist antipsychotics. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of D2 occupancy produced by a partial agonist antipsychotic (aripiprazole) to that of antagonist antipsychotics (risperidone or olanzapine) on the subjective well-being of patients. Subjective well-being was measured using the Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptics Scale (SWN) and was related to dopamine D2 receptor occupancy using [11C]raclopride PET. Patients that were switched to aripiprazole showed improvement in their subjective well-being from 79.80 (s.d.=16.08) to 89.90 (s.d.=15.33), an effect that was sustained for 6 months. This sustained improvement was observed despite very high levels of DA D2 occupancy (82–99%), in contrast to the effects of antagonist antipsychotics on subjective well-being.

(Received January 06 2009)

(Reviewed January 21 2009)

(Revised February 25 2009)

(Accepted March 05 2009)

(Online publication April 15 2009)

Key Words:Antipsychotics; PET; subjective well-being

Correspondence:

c1 Address for correspondence: R. Mizrahi, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto PET Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – Clarke Division, 250 College St, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada. Tel.: (416) 535-8501 (ext. 4508) Fax: (416) 979 4656 Email: romina.mizrahi@camhpet.ca

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