Research Background:
Due to the chronic relapsing nature of mental disorders and increased life expectancy, the societal burden of mental disorders is likely to increase even further. Effective treatments for mental disorders are available, but their effect is limited due to patients’ (genetic) heterogeneity and low treatment compliance due to frequent adverse events; only one-third of the patients respond to treatment and experience remission. Recent studies have shown that psychiatry relies on a trial-and-error approach that combines physicians’ experience with clinical indicators. Pharmacogenetic testing can help reduce uncertainty in this process by determining the person-specific genetic factors that predict clinical response and adverse events associated with genetic variants that impact drug-metabolising enzymes, drug transporters or drug targets.
Goal and Objectives:
In order to develop the most optimal treatment for patients with as little adverse events as possible, pharmacogenetics might be incorporated in common psychiatric practice. To facilitate this process an overview of the relevant issues to be considered will be provided, hurdles that should be overcome will be described and a strategy for implementation will be proposed.
Types of Articles:
1. Introduction article describing the history of pharmacogenetics
2. Which genes and which variants, including rare variants, to determine
3. Relationship pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacogenetics
4. Role of pharmacogenetics in drug-drug interactions (phenoconversion)
5. Clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics: psychiatrist’s experience
6. Guidelines/Dosing advise
7. Importance of pharmacogenetics compared to genetics in psychiatry
8. Hurdles to be taken in implementing pharmacogenetics-based pharmacotherapy in psychiatric practice
9. Future in psychiatry: (pharmaco)genetics based treatment?
Research Background:
Due to the chronic relapsing nature of mental disorders and increased life expectancy, the societal burden of mental disorders is likely to increase even further. Effective treatments for mental disorders are available, but their effect is limited due to patients’ (genetic) heterogeneity and low treatment compliance due to frequent adverse events; only one-third of the patients respond to treatment and experience remission. Recent studies have shown that psychiatry relies on a trial-and-error approach that combines physicians’ experience with clinical indicators. Pharmacogenetic testing can help reduce uncertainty in this process by determining the person-specific genetic factors that predict clinical response and adverse events associated with genetic variants that impact drug-metabolising enzymes, drug transporters or drug targets.
Goal and Objectives:
In order to develop the most optimal treatment for patients with as little adverse events as possible, pharmacogenetics might be incorporated in common psychiatric practice. To facilitate this process an overview of the relevant issues to be considered will be provided, hurdles that should be overcome will be described and a strategy for implementation will be proposed.
Types of Articles:
1. Introduction article describing the history of pharmacogenetics
2. Which genes and which variants, including rare variants, to determine
3. Relationship pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacogenetics
4. Role of pharmacogenetics in drug-drug interactions (phenoconversion)
5. Clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics: psychiatrist’s experience
6. Guidelines/Dosing advise
7. Importance of pharmacogenetics compared to genetics in psychiatry
8. Hurdles to be taken in implementing pharmacogenetics-based pharmacotherapy in psychiatric practice
9. Future in psychiatry: (pharmaco)genetics based treatment?