The use of ondansetron in psychiatry: An educational article and expert opinion

Abstract

Neuroleptics are anti-psychotics medications that are used in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety, Tourette syndrome, autism, and mental retardation. The first and second generations of neuroleptics are dopamine 2 receptor blocker and the first generation agents are associated with significant risk of the occurrence of extra-pyramidal side effects in effective doses. Despite the emergence of several generations of neuroleptics, the disadvantages of the relatively high incidence of side effects and treatment resistance continued as challenging problems 1-6.
 It has been suggested that these problems may be solved with use of adjunctive therapies that help in improving responsiveness and reduce the possibility of the occurrence of side effects. The aim of this paper is to provide a relevant educational overview of ondansetron research progress in the field of psychiatry.
 Conclusion: The current expert opinion suggests that ondansetron has the potential to be the agent which can help in solving the problem associated with use of neuroleptics including the possibility of the occurrence of side effects and treatment resistance. There is preliminary evidence suggesting that ondansetron can be used as an adjunctive therapy in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
 Keywords: Ondansetron, neuropsychiatric disorders, expert opinion.