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    Amantadine in the Treatment of Sexual Inactivity in Schizophrenia Patients Taking Atypical Antipsychotics—The Pilot Case Series Study
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    Abstract:
    Sexual dysfunctions in people with schizophrenia are more severe than in the general population and are an important element in the treatment of schizophrenia. The mechanism of sexual dysfunction in patients treated for schizophrenia may be related to the side effects of antipsychotic drugs (hyperprolactinemia, suppression of the reward system), but it may also be related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia itself. The aim of the study was to present the possibility of using amantadine in the treatment of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia without the concomitant hyperprolactinemia. In an open and naturalistic case series study, five men treated for schizophrenia in a stable mental state were described. All patients reported a prolonged lack of sexual desire and sexual activity prior to treatment with amantadine. After exclusion of hyperprolactinemia, patients received amantadine 100 mg in the evening. Sexual dysfunction was assessed using subscales of the 14-point Short Form of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14). On subsequent visits after 1, 2 and 3 months of administration of amantadine, an improvement in sexual functioning was observed in all patients. Although this is only the preliminary report, amantadine may become a new indication for the treatment of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia patients.
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    Amantadine
    Amantadine hydrochloride, a dopamine agonist with antiviral and antiparkinsonism properties, is used for the prevention and treatment of influenza A respiratory infections in high-risk populations. The occurrence of amantadine-induced hallucinations and tremors is described in a young, renal transplant patient with declining renal function. Following discontinuation of amantadine, plasma amantadine concentrations were correlated with central nervous system toxicity. In view of the usage of amantadine in renal transplant recipients and the elderly, clinicians must be alert to the possibility of amantadine-induced neurotoxicity in patients with changing renal function.
    Amantadine
    Neurotoxicity
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    A double-blind cross-over study was carried out in 54 patients with Parkinson's disease to evaluate the efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride as compared to a lactose placebo in the management of this illness. Amantadine proved to be a useful and safe addition to the armamentarium when given in daily doses of 200 mg. Forty-eight per cent of patients experienced moderate to good results while 31% showed no measurable improvement. The quality of the improvement was inferior to that obtained with levodopa, but the side effects were fewer. The study could not demonstrate a useful synergistic action between the two drugs, nor could the response to amantadine be used to predict that with levodopa. On the other hand, the addition of amantadine was useful in a few instances where optimal therapeutic doses of levodopa could not be given because of side effects. The mechanism of action of amantadine is still conjectural, but there is strong evidence to indicate some interaction with central dopamine metabolism.
    Amantadine
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    Amantadine, an inhibitor of M2 ion channel of influenza A virus, is an oral antiviral drug which specifically inhibits the uncoating and viral replication of the influenza A virus. Studies have shown that amantadine treatment within 48 hours of acute infection of influenza A reduces fever within 24 hours and shortens the course of illness. Amantadine has been found to have an efficacy of 50 to 90% prevention of illness. However amantadine-resistant viruses have been recovered approximately 30% patients treated with amantadine, as early as 2-3 days into treatment. Side effects of insomnia, decreased concentration and dizziness have been reported in 5 to 33% of amantadine recipients. Therefore amantadine should be only used for influenza A infected high risk persons.
    Amantadine
    Antiviral drug
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    Amantadine and the analogue rimantadine have an antiviral effect on influenza A virus and are approximately 60% effective in preventing illness. The drugs are administered orally, and peak plasma concentration is achieved at two hours after a single dose. Side effects occur in 5-20% of the cases, but generally mild and transient and seen mainly with doses of more than 200 mg a day. This paper describes the mechanism of action and the pharmacokinetics of the drugs, and refers to some important clinical trials. Amantadine has been used in Norway to treat Parkinson's disease since 1972. The licensing of the amantadine and rimantadine for use against influenza A in this country is also discussed.
    Rimantadine
    Amantadine
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    Amantadine, 200 mg daily, for 5 days was used in an attempt to restrict the spread of influenza A in a hospital ward. After index cases of influenza A amantadine was given to 2 patients with clinical symptoms and to 8/10 patients who were not yet ill. No further case of clinical influenza was seen among the patients, but 3 of those receiving amantadine developed subclinical infection. No side effects of amantadine were noted. Amantadine was not given to any of the 23 hospital staff on duty. In this group 8 cases of influenza A appeared, 3 of them during the week after the introduction of amantadine to patients.
    Amantadine
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    To explore how amantadine transitioned from an anti-flu drug to antiparkinsonian agent.A review of the historical literature on the use of amantadine from 1966 to the present was performed.Amantadine was originally introduced and utilized as an antiviral medication. A single patient noticed relief in her Parkinson disease (PD) symptoms after taking amantadine for a flu infection, and this observation sparked an interest, and several important studies that eventually led to a new drug indication.Amantadine has over the years fallen out of favor as a drug to address influenza infection; however, it has become part of the arsenal utilized for early symptomatic treatment of PD, as well an option for treating dyskinesia.
    Amantadine
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    Abstract Background: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric condition with devastating consequences for the individual's functionality and leading to severe disability. Lack of insight and non-adherence to treatment remain the most important factors in the progression of the disease to chronicity.Despite their proven effectiveness in preventing relapses, reducing morbidity and mortality, long acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are still underused. One of the causes invoked is the lack of guidelines or protocols for initiating LAIs. Objective: The aim of this article is to present Schizophrenia long-acting injectable antipsychotic initiation index (SLAII), a clinician-rated index that rates the important factors of the disorder across seven items: age, duration of illness, relapses, antipsychotic treatment response, family support, antipsychotic existing formulation and adherence. Method: A retrospective study in which all patients with schizophrenia discharged on oral antipsychotics without LAIs treatment lifetime were evaluated with SLAII for opportunity for LAIs initiation. Results: Of 225 consecutive patients, 144 patients (64%) had a strong indication for initiating LAI and 76 (34%) had moderate indication. 203 patients (90.2 %) had more than 2 relapses. The results of our research showed that 177 patients (78.7%) received at discharge an oral antipsychotic that also had a long-acting formula. Conclusion: This paper proposed an instrument designed to improve treatment in schizophrenia using a simple conceptual model which integrates important predictors of good or poor outcomes.