Pharmacogenomics in practice: a case report of personalized inpatient psychiatric care

Abstract

Given variable response to psychotropic intervention, this case highlights the potential of pharmacogenomics to inform medical decision-making in a male with atypical psychosis and depression with longer-standing attentional difficulties. Likely because of his specific COMT polymorphism and intermediate metabolizing liver enzymes, when the patient's stimulant medications were titrated to affect for attentional needs, he became psychotic secondary to a hyperdopaminergic state. Past prescriptions of dopaminergic antidepressant agents (e.g., bupropion) likely would have exacerbated further the problem. The patient's serotonin transporter polymorphism also potentially was associated with SSRI inefficacy and increased side effects. Knowledge of the patient's genetically influenced departure from average response allowed for personalization of pharmacology with clinical improvement across measures of functioning.