Developments in biological psychiatry: clinical applications to the major psychoses

Recent developments in biological psychiatry offer clinicians the opportunity to apply new techniques to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. For instance, the dexamethasone suppression test has been used in the differential diagnosis of depression and high doses of propranolol have been reported to improve schizophrenic symptoms. Studies now suggest that lithium may be equally effective in treating schizoaffective and affective disorders. Receptor binding techniques provide new information on the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs and allow the clinician to assess the likelihood of specific side effects being produced by drugs within a class. The author reviews other recent developments, including the use of computerized tomography with patients who exhibit schizophrenic behavior.