More and more people around the world are facing some kind of mental disorders. According to recent studies, the global share of mental disorders is about 20% among adults and 13 % among children and adolescents.
Often, drugs are used to treat mental disorders in young people, but the right choice of medications for each patient is a serious task for the medical community, given that not all patients respond equally to prescribed medications.
In this context, Neuropharmagen®, is a service of personalized medicine based on pharmacogenetics, can be useful for mental health professionals, helping them to select drugs and dosage in the most optimal way for each patient. The results of the conducted clinical studies on the study of this test have shown high efficiency, with an increase in the response rate and a decrease in the search time for an effective course of treatment.
Below we will tell you in more detail what advantages Neuropharmagen® has in the treatment of behavioral disorders in adolescents.
Characteristics of Behavioral Disorders in Adolescents
Behavioral disorders in adolescence are the reasons for the most frequent visits to pediatrics departments. In fact, diagnoses with such disorders have become much more frequent in recent years in our country, with the largest number of cases among young people aged 13 to 16 years.
The main behavioral disorders include defiant oppositional disorder (DOD) and behavioral disorder (BD), until recently called asocial disorder (AR). In addition, such disorders appear in cases associated with other diagnoses, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorder or anxiety disorder.
Some symptoms of a defiant oppositional disorder include irritability and frequent bad mood, threats to authorities and generally accepted norms, vindictiveness. For their part, patients with behavioral disorder may look angry at people and/or animals, feel a desire to destroy objects and property, run away from school or from home, steal or commit other grave violations of social norms.
At this age, some of the described signs may manifest in specific situations, as part of the adaptation process, so it is always necessary to take into account the duration and persistence of symptoms in order to be able to make a diagnosis. In addition, mental health professionals should also take into account the behavior of the patient in different environments (in the family, at school and in society).
Pharmacological Treatment of People with Most Common Disorders in Adolescents
For the proper treatment of such diseases, it is necessary to take into account the specialized intervention of different specialists, depending on the patient’s condition. So, you may need parallel pharmacological treatment and the process of psychotherapy.
ADHD, not accompanied by other related disorders, is usually treated with stimulant drugs such as methylphenidate and lisdexamphetamine, as well as non-stimulant drugs such as atomoxetine and guanfacine.
In turn, behavior disorder and defiant oppositional disorder are usually treated with pharmacology in the most severe and complex cases, as a supplement to other types of psychotherapy, which is conducted both for young patients and for their families.
In search of Personalized Treatment
Drugs used to treat this type of disorders among adolescents often do not give a favorable reaction or give side effects, which often leads to patients quitting treatment.
This situation may be accompanied by the fact that some young people suffering from a behavioral disorder, in an effort to relieve symptoms, begin to chronically use medications, most of which are prescription only or are prohibited.
Therefore, the selection of individual treatment through the use of pharmacogenetics can be useful for such patients. The Neuropharmagen test® gives the attending physician information about the genetic profile of the patient, which will help them choose the most appropriate pharmacological treatment in each case, achieving maximum therapeutic effectiveness and reducing the risk of adverse effects. In addition, it results in reduced time for selecting the optimal solution, helping to achieve patient stabilization faster.
How does Neuropharmagen Analysis work?
Neuropharmagen® investigates changes in the genes responsible for the response to drugs most commonly used in psychiatry. Currently, this test has analyzed 59 psychoactive drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs and mood stabilizers.
The order for the test is carried out through a medical specialist.
Based on a sample of a patient’s saliva or a gum smear, their DNA is taken, and genetic variants present in genes associated with the reaction, metabolism and adverse effects of various psychiatric drugs are analyzed in it.
After analyzing the sample, the results become available to the attending physician, no later than twenty-five working days. As soon as the specialist receives the results, they will be able to determine the most appropriate treatment in each case.
First Pharmacogenetic Analysis in Psychiatry with Proven Clinical Benefit
Neuropharmagen® is the first pharmacogenetic-based test with proven clinical benefits for patients with various mental illnesses.
Various clinical studies conducted on patients with severe depression have shown the effectiveness of using this test in comparison with conventional methods of treatment. Also, a pilot study conducted in Spain with the participation of children and adolescents with ADHD and behavioral disorders as the main diagnoses also showed the benefit of using Neuropharmagen® to select the most optimal pharmacological treatment in the specified age range.
