title: Reduction of Severity of Recurrent Psychotic Episode by Sustained Treatment with Aripiprazole in a Schizophrenic Patient with Dopamine Supersensitivity: A Case Report.
abstract: Dopamine supersensitivity psychosis (DSP) is a type of acute exacerbation of recurrent psychosis caused by long-term treatment with antipsychotics in schizophrenic patients. Although DSP is exceedingly troublesome for clinicians, effective treatment has not yet been established. Based on clinical research and our animal study, we hypothesize that aripiprazole, an atypical antipsychotic, may reduce the exacerbation of recurrent psychotic episodes. We report the case of a 46-year-old female who suffered from schizophrenia with DSP. In this case, sustained treatment with a high dose of aripiprazole gradually reduced the　 severity of her recurrent psychotic episodes. In conclusion, sustained treatment with aripiprazole may reduce the exacerbation of recurrent psychotic episodes in schizophrenic patients with DSP, and may be an effective treatment of DSP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.|Health Administration Center, Muroran Institute of Technology, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.|Department of Biomedical Ethics, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naho
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonomura
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanahara
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iyo
keywords: Antipsychotic agents; Disease exacerbation; Receptors, dopamine D2; Recurrence; Schizophrenia