title: The predictive value of benzodiazepine tolerance in persistently aggressive schizophrenia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether benzodiazepine tolerance might provide a predictive marker for persistent aggression in schizophrenia. Seventy-seven male schizophrenic patients newly admitted to our psychiatric intensive care unit due to violent behavior during a 4-month period were examined. As a result, a high dose of benzodiazepine required for sedation or a short duration until regaining consciousness after the initial sedation, was related to severer aggression on waking up after sedation. Despite the small number of subjects examined, a conservative claim can be made that the level of the effect of benzodiazepine required for sedation seems to predict persistent severe aggression in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokuto Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D003975:Diazepam