title: Clonazepam improves dopamine supersensitivity in a schizophrenia patient: a case report.
abstract: Dopamine supersensitivity is an important consideration for assessing treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The emergence of dopamine supersensitivity might be related to upregulation of dopamine D2 receptor, which engenders tolerance to antipsychotics, rebound psychosis, and tardive dyskinesia (TD). A 24-year-old man with a history of treatment-resistant schizophrenia was hospitalized for treatment of bone fracture sustained during a suicide attempt. After the operation, his clinical symptoms implied malignant catatonia. The patient discontinued antipsychotics without rebound psychosis under clonazepam treatment. His psychotic symptoms were controlled further with 24 mg/day aripiprazole without relapse or worsening. Clonazepam might be an effective option for the management of dopamine supersensitivity psychosis (DSP).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirosawa
authors.affiliation: Health Administration Center, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Reizo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minabe
keywords: clonazepam; dopamine supersensitivity; schizophrenia