Medical Genetics Commons^™

Determinism V. Free Will & Genetic Evidence Of Addiction In Plea Bargaining And Sentence Mitigation: Conversion Of Incarceration To Probation And Rehabilitation Based On Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (Gars) Test, Kenneth Blum, Paul Mullen, Richard Green

St. Mary's Law Journal

In this Article, Dr. Kenneth Blum and his team present the case of a presently abstinent, thirty-five year old alcoholic (“AG”) who has several convictions for DWI. AG has undergone and continues to be engaged in out-patient substance abuse treatment. He entered treatment before adjudication and was mandated by the court to continue treatment to assist in maintaining sobriety. Treatment included the administration of the Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (“GARS”) Test.

AG was facing a probable five-year sentence for his fifth DWI conviction in Bexar County, Texas. However, because AG’s genetic risk results indicated a genetically induced dopamine dysfunction, hypodopaminergia, …

Acute Diagnosis Of Wilson’S Disease In A Teenage Patient, Sarah Irvin, Ryan Mccarthy

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Wilson’s Disease, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease, is caused by a mutation in the ATP7B enzyme gene. Without this enzyme, copper builds up in the brain, liver, and cornea causing a multitude of symptoms. It is important to consider Wilson’s disease because the prognosis is dependent on timely diagnosis. This is an interesting case of a 19-year-old male who presented with suicidal thoughts and rapid weight loss. After many months and an extensive work-up, Wilson’s Disease was diagnosed. Due to his rapid decline, he was transferred to a larger university healthcare center where he is currently enrolled in clinical …

Genetic Predispositions To Opioid Addiction, Legislative Action And Implications To Pharmacy Practice, Adam N. Trimble, David N. Jones, Courtney L. Salvino, Michael M. Milks, David Kisor

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Prescription pain-relievers can be powerfully effective agents in the treatment of moderate to severe pain; however, these drugs are also strongly associated with drug abuse and addiction. In the brain, opioid analgesics bind to various receptors in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathways, which play a multifaceted interaction of role in reward. Several specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified as potential genetic factors that increase an individual's risk for addiction; however, confounding studies and lack of large trials prohibit definitive conclusions from being drawn. As a result of genetic testing, federal and state laws have been enacted to protect individuals …

Antidepressant Dosing In Major Depression: A Pharmacogenomic Approach, Morgan Homan, Haval Norman, Victoria Cho, Yousif Rojeab

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most predominant mental disorder in the United States, with serious and costly health risks if not successfully managed. Pharmacotherapy is a standard option for MDD treatment, but patients often require extensive therapy adjustments to find a suitable regimen. Pharmacogenomics may enable greater precision in antidepressant therapy. Genotypic variations in CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 metabolic enzymes are reliable predictors of serum drug concentration, but the complex dose-response relationship of antidepressants prevents such variations from predicting therapy success. Additionally, ABCBl has been examined for its role in P-glycoprotein efflux of antidepressants in the brain, yet it is …

Pharmacogenetics: Cyps, Nat2 And 5-Htt Related To Antidepressants, Molly Kulp, Armond Cosiano, Kevin Krivanek, Amanda Lanker, Taylor Roberson, David F. Kisor

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Pharmacogenetics (PGt), the study of a gene's influence on patient response to a drug, shows strong potential for explaining issues with efficacy related to antidepressant medications. Each year, antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications due to the millions of Americans affected by depression. Importantly, it is recognized that there is wide interpatient variability in drug response to antidepressants caused by genetic mutations, which can alter the pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of various drugs used to treat depression. Proteins that are mainly involved in how patients respond to medications include receptors, drug-targeted proteins, drug transport proteins …