51Æ·²è

Atypical (second generation) antipsychotic medications were developed for the treatment of the most severe mental illness, including schizophrenia.  In the last 5-10 years these drugs have been increasingly prescribed "off label" for the treatment of disorders as diverse as ADHD in children and dementia in the elderly.  Clinical data indicate that these drugs are associated with significant weight gain and increased incidence of diabetes, and  most recently, an increase in bone fractures as well.  My collaborative research project research focuses on elucidating the mechanism(s) underlying these endocrine and metabolic side effects with the goals of informing patient care and monitoring and identifying co-therapies to minimize side effects. This research seminar will highlight mechanistic data relating to insulin resistance, diabetes and new data elucidating adverse effects on bone biology.