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Antipsychotic drug and body weight set-point
Yasser Khazaal1, Anne Chatton, Fabian Claeys
1Division of substance abuse, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. yasser.khazaal@hcuge.ch
Physiology & Behavior
|June 28, 2008
Summary
Antipsychotic drugs can cause weight gain. This study found a link between this side effect and a delayed response to sweet tastes, suggesting a connection to altered body weight regulation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
- Metabolism
Background:
- Antipsychotic medications are widely used for psychiatric disorders.
- A significant side effect of antipsychotic treatment is substantial weight gain.
- The mechanisms underlying antipsychotic-induced weight gain are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between antipsychotic-induced weight gain and sensory processing.
- To explore the relationship between weight gain and alliesthesia, specifically the hedonic response to sweet stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of patients undergoing antipsychotic treatment.
- Stratification of patients into groups with stable weight and documented weight gain.
- Assessment of negative alliesthesia to sweet stimuli using a specialized procedure.
Main Results:
- Multivariate regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship.
- A significant association was identified between delayed negative alliesthesia for sweet stimuli and antipsychotic-induced weight gain.
- The findings indicate a potential link between altered taste perception and medication-related weight changes.
Conclusions:
- Antipsychotic-induced weight gain may be linked to changes in the body's weight set-point.
- Delayed negative alliesthesia to sweet stimuli could be a contributing factor or indicator of this weight gain.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of these associations.
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