Predicting individual responses to drug treatment in schizophrenia: a test dose model.
The literature and the findings from the Camarillo Schizophrenia Research Project reported in this paper indicate that a satisfactory method for predicting the response of an individual schizophrenic patient to antipsychotic drugs has yet to be devised. A test dose procedure is described which offers promise of a practical approach to selecting the most appropriate drug and dosage for a particular patient and tailoring blood concentrations to the needs of the individual case. Preliminary findings indicate that the test dose procedure is feasible; that detectable changes occur after a single test dose; and that measurements made during the test dose period may be predictive of eventual outcome. These findings are, of course, only a report of a preliminary pilot experiment, subject to important caveats about small number of cases, interpretation of large numbers of correlation coefficients, and need for cross-validation. Nevertheless, they are encouraging and suggest that the test dose approach has considerable potential for further research.
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents