Bastian Wollweber1, Martin E Keck2, Ulrike Schmidt3. 1. Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, RG Molecular Psychotraumatology, Munich, Germany. 2. Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Director of the Clinical Department, Munich, Germany. 3. Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Department, Head of Trauma Outpatient Clinic and RG Molecular Psychotraumatology and Closed Ward, Kraepelinstrasse 10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: There is no drug treatment for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), a highly prevalent and burdensome symptom of several psychiatric diseases like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, and major depression (MD). METHODS: Here, we present a retrospective series of three patients demonstrating a persistent remission in MD-associated NSSI in response to treatment with antipsychotics possessing marked D1 receptor antagonistic activity. RESULTS: To the best of the authors' knowledge, the case series presented is only the second clinical paper suggesting a role for D1 antagonists in NSSI drug therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Together with previously published data from rodent models, the findings suggest a role for D1 antagonists in NSSI drug therapy and hence for the D1 receptor in NSSI pathogenesis. This conclusion is limited by the facts that the patients presented here received polypharmacy and that the D1 receptor antagonistic antipsychotics suggested here as effective 'anti-auto-aggressants' do not address D1 receptors only but multiple neurotransmitter receptors/systems.
INTRODUCTION: There is no drug treatment for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), a highly prevalent and burdensome symptom of several psychiatric diseases like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, and major depression (MD). METHODS: Here, we present a retrospective series of three patients demonstrating a persistent remission in MD-associated NSSI in response to treatment with antipsychotics possessing marked D1 receptor antagonistic activity. RESULTS: To the best of the authors' knowledge, the case series presented is only the second clinical paper suggesting a role for D1 antagonists in NSSI drug therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Together with previously published data from rodent models, the findings suggest a role for D1 antagonists in NSSI drug therapy and hence for the D1 receptor in NSSI pathogenesis. This conclusion is limited by the facts that the patients presented here received polypharmacy and that the D1 receptor antagonistic antipsychotics suggested here as effective 'anti-auto-aggressants' do not address D1 receptors only but multiple neurotransmitter receptors/systems.
Entities:
Keywords:
D1 receptor antagonists; deliberate self-harm; drug treatment for nonsuicidal self-injury; neuroleptics; nonsuicidal self-injury; nonsuicidal self-injury treatment
Authors: Barbara Stanley; Leo Sher; Scott Wilson; Rolf Ekman; Yung-yu Huang; J John Mann Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2009-11-25 Impact factor: 4.839