Human Psychopharmacology Research Articles

Professor Brian Leonard: Former Editor-in-Chief of Human Psychopharmacology.

Professor Brian Leonard: Former Editor-in-Chief of Human Psychopharmacology.

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No abstract is available for this article.

J Guy Edwards, FRCPsych, FRCP, FRCGP (Hon), DPM, HonMFPH, Founding Editor of Human Psychopharmacology.

J Guy Edwards, FRCPsych, FRCP, FRCGP (Hon), DPM, HonMFPH, Founding Editor of Human Psychopharmacology.

Introduction to special issue: Therapeutic and abuse-related effects of cannabis and cannabinoids.

In this special issue, we highlight recent human and rodent psychopharmacology research in a series of original reports and reviews on cannabis and cannabis derivatives. This work represents a broad cross-section of current cannabis related research; however, more work in this area is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

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Diagnostic clusters associated with an early onset schizophrenia diagnosis among children and adolescents.

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and ExperimentalVolume 32, Issue 3 e2612 ERRATUMFree Access Diagnostic clusters associated with an early onset schizophrenia diagnosis among children and adolescents This article corrects the following: Diagnostic clusters associated with an early onset schizophrenia diagnosis among children and adolescents Jeanette M. Jerrell, Roger S. McIntyre, Chelsea B. Deroche, Volume 32Issue 2Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental First Published online: March 30, 2017 First published: 28 June 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2612AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Following the publication of the above article in Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental 32(2): e2589; 2017, the author found the following errors, which had been previously noted on the proofs: The author name ‘Jerrel’ should be replaced with ‘Jerrell’ throughout the article. Table 1 in page 3, “Disorder (CD/ODD)” should be moved beside “defiant” in order to read the line as “… defiant disorder (CD/ODD)”. The corrected references, “Census Data 2010 a-c” were changed in the text and in the references but were not re-alphabetized properly in the revised proof. Table 1. Descriptive analysis of the cohort of pediatric patients diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia after exclusion criteria applied Indicator EOS cohort N = 448 N (%) Gender: Male 290 (64.7) Race: African American 219 (48.9) Diagnosed with schizophrenia 389 (86.5) Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder 193 (42.9) Diagnosed with bipolar disorder 222 (49.2) Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 284 (63.1) Diagnosed with conduct disorder/oppositional defiant disorder (CD/ODD) 311 (69.1) Diagnosed with anxiety disorder 217 (48.2) Diagnosed with substance use disorder 153 (34.0) Diagnosed with paranoid, delusional, or other nonorganic psychoses 255 (56.7) Diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders/autism spectrum disorders 100 (22.2) Diagnosed with speech/language/educational disabilities 244 (54.2) Diagnosed with mental retardation 213 (47.3) Diagnosed with epilepsy 95 (21.1) Note. EOS = early onset schizophrenia. We apologize for these errors. The corrected text, Table 1, and sequence in the reference list should appear as below: Spelling of author's surname a Reference list: Jerrell, J. M., & Shugart, M. A. (2004). Community-based care for youths with early and very-early onset bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 6, 299–304. b Reference citation: Jerrell & Shugart (2004) 2 Table 1 should be presented as: 3 “Census data 2010 a-c” should be reflected as the first three references in the bibliography list. The reference entry below should appear before “Cheah et al. (2016)”: Census data: Census 2010a, Health insurance coverage for children under 19 years of age, at or below 200% of poverty by state, 2006–2008 and 2009–2011. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/data/children/low-income.html Accessed January 30, 2013. Census data: Census 2010b, Tables D1: Children under 18 and their designated parents and Table D2: Children under 18 and their designated parents-characteristics of families (including region). http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/children/data/sipp/well2009/tables.html Accessed January 30, 2013. Census data: Census 2010c, summary file 2, Demographic profile 1 by state. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF2_SF2DP1&prodType=table Accessed February 4, 2013. REFERENCE Jerrell, J. M., McIntyre, R. S., & Deroche, C. B. (2017). Diagnostic clusters associated with an early onset schizophrenia diagnosis among children and adolescents. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 32, e2589. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2589. Volume32, Issue3May 2017e2612 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Retraction: 'Effect of blonanserin on cognitive function in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia'.

Tenjin, T., Miyamoto, S., Miyake, N., Ogino, S., Kitajima, R., Ojima, K., … Yamaguchi, N. (2012). Effect of blonanserin on cognitive function in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia. Hum. Psychopharmacol Clin Exp, 27, 90-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.1276.

Seasonal variations in [3 H] citalopram platelet binding between healthy controls and violent offenders in Finland

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and ExperimentalVolume 31, Issue 6 p. 433-433 CORRIGENDUMFree Access Seasonal variations in [3H] citalopram platelet binding between healthy controls and violent offenders in Finland This article corrects the following: Seasonal variations in [3H]citalopram platelet binding between healthy controls and violent offenders in Finland James Callaway, Markus Storvik, Pirjo Halonen, Helinä Hakko, Pirkko Räsänen, Jari Tiihonen, Volume 20Issue 7Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental pages: 467-472 First Published online: September 13, 2005 First published: 16 November 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2561AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Following the publication of the above article in Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental 20(7):467–472; November 2005, the authors have discovered some errors within Table 1. The Table title should be presented as Table 1 Bmax monthly averages ± standard error mean (SEM) and the number of samples (n) in each month. The highest Bmax values were observed during winter and the lowest values during summer, indicating a seasonal variation by monthly values. In the corrected data set, seasonal variation explained 70% of the Bmax variance among violent offenders, and 68% among healthy controls. The difference between the highest values (in winter time Jan-Feb) and the lowest values (in the late summer Jul-Aug) was statistically significant in both groups (controls: F = 7.1, p = 0.021, df = (1,12), oneway ANOVA; cases: F = 15.8, p = 0.0011, df = (1,16), repeated measures ANOVA). The corrected Table appears below and the authors apologize for the errors, and confirm that these minor changes do not effect the conclusions of the study. Table 1. Bmax monthly averages_standard error mean (SEM) and the number of samples (n) in each month, from which the floating averages in Figure 1 were derived Month Controls Violent offenders Bmax SEM n Bmax SEM n January 1486 111 18 1832 182 6 February 1703 136 18 2133 248 3 March 1406 104 18 1620 252 5 April 1396 138 18 1588 102 5 May 1456 153 18 2028 - 1 June 1563 165 18 1415 98 2 July 1157 89 17 1403 313 3 August 1347 100 17 896 483 2 September 1355 94 17 1690 52 2 October 1355 110 16 - - 0 November 1236 92 17 1706 431 2 December 1447 145 18 1802 452 2 Reference Callaway, J., Storvik, M., Halonen, P., Hakko, H., Räsänen, P., & Tiihonen, J. (2005). Seasonal variations in [3H]citalopram platelet binding between healthy controls and violent offenders in Finland. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 20, 467– 472. doi:10.1002/hup.712. Volume31, Issue6November 2016Pages 433-433 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Altruism, personal benefit, and anxieties: a phenomenological study of healthy volunteers' experiences in a placebo-controlled trial of duloxetine.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop an in‐depth understanding of healthy volunteers' experiences of mental health trials.MethodsA qualitative study was nested within a healthy volunteer placebo‐controlled trial of duloxetine, a psychotropic drug used for treating patients with major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Eight participants were interviewed, and data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsInterviewees described volunteering for the trial because they were interested in research, wanted the monetary incentive, wanted to help researchers, and wanted to be part of something. On entering the trial, participants considered the possible risks and described feeling anxious, excited, and determined; they had some clear expectations and some loosely held hopes about what would happen. During the trial, participants were curious about whether they were taking duloxetine or placebo, self‐monitored their bodies' reactions, and guessed which treatment they received. On being un‐blinded to treatment allocation after completing the trial, some participants' guesses were confirmed, but others were surprised, and a few were disappointed.ConclusionsSmall changes to advertising/consent materials to reflect volunteers' motivations could improve recruitment rates to similar trials; “active” placebos might be particularly useful for maintaining blinding in healthy volunteer trials; and sensitive procedures are needed for un‐blinding participants to treatment allocation. © 2016 The Authors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® on cognitive control functions, mental activity of the prefrontal cortex and stress reactivity in elderly adults with subjective memory impairment - a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

ObjectiveCognitive control as well as stress reactivity is assumed to depend on prefrontal dopamine and decline with age. Because Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761® increases prefrontal dopamine in animals, we assessed its effects on cognitive functions related to prefrontal dopamine.MethodsEffects of 240‐mg EGb761® daily on task‐set‐switching, response‐inhibition, delayed response, prospective‐memory, task‐related fMRI‐BOLD‐signals and the Trier Social Stress‐Test were explored in a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind pilot‐trial in 61 elderly volunteers with subjective memory impairment.† ResultsBaseline‐fMRI‐data showed BOLD‐responses in regions commonly activated by the specific tasks. Task‐switch‐costs decreased with EGb761® compared to placebo (ANOVA‐interaction: Group × Time × Switch‐Costs p = 0.018, multiple tests uncorrected), indicating improved cognitive flexibility. Go–NoGo‐task reaction‐times corrected for error‐rates indicated a trend for improved response inhibition. No treatment effects were found for the delayed response and prospective‐memory tasks and fMRI‐data. A non‐significant trend indicated a potentially accelerated endocrine stress‐recovery. EGb761® was safe and well tolerated.ConclusionWe observed indications for improved cognitive flexibility without changes in brain activation, suggesting increased processing efficiency with EGb761®. Together with a trend for improved response inhibition results are compatible with mild enhancement of prefrontal dopamine. These conclusions on potential beneficial effect of EGb761® on prefrontal dopaminergic functions should be confirmed by direct measurements. © 2016 The Authors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes: A randomised sham-controlled trial

A pilot study on Sailuotong, a Chinese herbal medicine formula, for cognition and brain activity Genevieve Z. Steiner *, Alan Yeung , David A. Camfield , Andrew Pipingas , Andrew B. Scholey , Con Stough , Dennis H.T. Chang 1 1 The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, Australia Centre for Psychophysics, Psychophysiology, and Psychopharmacology; Brain & Behaviour Research Institute; School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia *Corresponding author.

A pilot study on Sailuotong, a Chinese herbal medicine formula, for cognition and brain activity

A pilot study on Sailuotong, a Chinese herbal medicine formula, for cognition and brain activity Genevieve Z. Steiner *, Alan Yeung , David A. Camfield , Andrew Pipingas , Andrew B. Scholey , Con Stough , Dennis H.T. Chang 1 1 The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, Australia Centre for Psychophysics, Psychophysiology, and Psychopharmacology; Brain & Behaviour Research Institute; School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia *Corresponding author.

Abuse and Diversion of Gabapentin Among Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Users in Appalachian Kentucky

Gabapentin (Neurontin®) is FDA-approved as an adjunctive anti-epileptic for refractory partial seizures and as an analgesic for post-herpetic neuralgia. It is presumed to interact with calcium channels to regulate various neurotransmitter release (1) and is commonly prescribed off-label for other pain syndromes as well as mood and anxiety disorders (2), with few reports of abuse (2–5). However, with decreasing availability of commonly abused prescription opioids, it has been suggested that non-medical users of prescription opioids are substituting other licit (6) and illicit (7) drugs for abuse.

Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) response properties associated with capacity-limited sensory gating resources during more/less estimation judgements: Case of the disappearing magnetic dipole in right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) under the cloak of surround masking.

Event Abstract Back to Event Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) response properties associated with capacity-limited sensory gating resources during more/less estimation judgements: Case of the disappearing magnetic dipole in right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) under the cloak of surround masking. Nicola Jastrzebski1*, David Crewther2* and William Woods1* 1 Swinburne University of Technology, Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Australia 2 Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology , Australia The elimination of redundant visual input is influenced by a number of factors including modifications in attentional and sensory load. One way to induce such capacity limits over sensory gating resources is through surround masking, a psycho-physical procedure well documented to have deleterious effects upon discrimination of the physical properties of visual perception, such as brightness intensity and differences in contrast. Previous primate neurophysiology literature suggests that high sensory load induced by surround masking, has a regulatory effect upon the inhibitory segments of receptive fields in lateral geniculate nucleus and V1. This 'swamping' of inhibitory resources reduces the visual systems capacity to filter out irrelevant sensory information, resulting in perceptual ambiguity and signal noisiness. We used the Elekta Neuromag (vector view 306) system to observe the electromagnetic (MEG) signature during more/less discrimination judgements of randomly drifting dots, enveloped by either a high (95%) or low (25%) contrast annulus. Essentially, event related fields (ERFs) in the presence of a low-contrast surround were featured by a focused magnetic dipole in rPPC approximately 285-309ms post-stimulus onset.This putative number estimation judgement dipole in rPPC was significantly attenuated (and almost absent in one observer) within the same time-window in the presence of the high-contrast surround. However, the high-contrast surround only appeared to delay this response by approximately 40-60ms and not completely eliminate it. These findings cast a new light on some prevailing notions on the origins of developmental dyscalculia (DD) - arithmetical learning disorder. These findings suggest that DD may be related to poor sensory-gating or inhibitory resources, influenced at a perceptual level, and not just at the cognitive/high-order level of neural organization. Keywords: Dyscalculia, Magnetoencephalography, inhibition, Estimation judgements, Gating resources, Perceptual-sets, Sensory-load, Surround-masking Conference: XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 Jul - 31 Jul, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Sensation and Perception Citation: Jastrzebski N, Crewther D and Woods W (2015). Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) response properties associated with capacity-limited sensory gating resources during more/less estimation judgements: Case of the disappearing magnetic dipole in right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) under the cloak of surround masking.. Conference Abstract: XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.217.00307 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 Feb 2015; Published Online: 24 Apr 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Nicola Jastrzebski, Swinburne University of Technology, Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia, nicolajastrzebski@gmail.com Prof. David Crewther, Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Melbourne, Australia, dcrewther@swin.edu.au Dr. William Woods, Swinburne University of Technology, Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia, wwoods@swin.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Nicola Jastrzebski David Crewther William Woods Google Nicola Jastrzebski David Crewther William Woods Google Scholar Nicola Jastrzebski David Crewther William Woods PubMed Nicola Jastrzebski David Crewther William Woods Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Harry L June.

Dr Harry L June, a Member of the College since 2004, succumbed to cancer on 7 June 2014. A native of South Carolina, Dr June received his PhD from Howard University in 1990 under Dr Michael Lewis. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in human psychopharmacology at Johns Hopkins University, Dr June held a dual appointment as assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Indiana University–Purdue University in Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the Medical Neurobiology Program at Indiana University School of Medicine. He was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1998 and full professor in 2003. Dr June left Indiana in 2005 to join the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he held the rank of professor in both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. In 2011, he was appointed Director of Substance Abuse Research and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Howard University College of Medicine. First, as a student with Michael Lewis, and later with colleagues at IUPUI, the University of Maryland, and finally at Howard University, Harry addressed fundamental questions about how GABAA receptor form and function relate to alcohol-driven behaviors. Harry employed a multidisciplinary approach to address these questions. Both Harry's enthusiasm and outgoing personality enabled him to enlist collaborators in disciplines ranging from organic chemistry (James Cook) in order to synthesize GABAA receptor subtype-selective agents to molecular biology (Laura Aurelian) in order to construct amplicons containing siRNAs that could be delivered to specific brain regions. Throughout his career, Harry always had an eye toward translational research, and one of his last studies demonstrated that amitifadine, a triple reuptake inhibitor, reduced binge drinking as well as some of the negative behaviors associated with withdrawal in rats. NIAAA subsequently replicated these data, and amitifadine, currently in development for depression, is slated for an NIAAA-sponsored clinical study in alcoholism. This study would never have gotten off the ground without Harry's vision of finding better agents to treat alcohol use disorders. Given his enthusiasm for science, it is no surprise that Harry was a gifted teacher and a dedicated, patient mentor. Harry was always grateful to NIAAA for supporting his work, and served on multiple NIH study sections during his distinguished career. Harry is survived by his wife, Terri White, and two sons, Leon and James. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and an extended scientific family of former students and collaborators.

Effects of two doses of glucose and a caffeine-glucose combination on cognitive performance and mood during multi-tasking.

BackgroundThis study assessed the effects of two doses of glucose and a caffeine–glucose combination on mood and performance of an ecologically valid, computerised multi-tasking platform.Materials and methodsFollowing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, parallel-groups design, 150 healthy adults (mean age 34.78 years) consumed drinks containing placebo, 25 g glucose, 60 g glucose or 60 g glucose with 40 mg caffeine. They completed a multi-tasking framework at baseline and then 30 min following drink consumption with mood assessments immediately before and after the multi-tasking framework. Blood glucose and salivary caffeine were co-monitored.ResultsThe caffeine–glucose group had significantly better total multi-tasking scores than the placebo or 60 g glucose groups and were significantly faster at mental arithmetic tasks than either glucose drink group. There were no significant treatment effects on mood. Caffeine and glucose levels confirmed compliance with overnight abstinence/fasting, respectively, and followed the predicted post-drink patterns.ConclusionThese data suggest that co-administration of glucose and caffeine allows greater allocation of attentional resources than placebo or glucose alone. At present, we cannot rule out the possibility that the effects are due to caffeine alone Future studies should aim at disentangling caffeine and glucose effects.

Positive perception of pharmacogenetic testing for psychotropic medications

IntroductionPharmacogenetics attempts to identify inter-individual genetic differences that are predictive of variable drug response and propensity to side effects, with the prospect of assisting physicians to select the most appropriate drug and dosage for treatment. However, many concerns regarding genetic tests exist. We sought to test the opinions of undergraduate science and medical students in southern Ontario universities toward pharmacogenetic testing.Methods and ResultsQuestionnaires were completed by 910 undergraduate medicine and science students from 2005 to 2007. Despite students' concerns that the results of genetic tests may be used for other purposes without consent (71%) or lead to discrimination (78%), an overwhelming number of students were in favor of pharmacogenetic testing (90%).DiscussionTo our knowledge, this study is the first to survey a large sample for their attitude toward pharmacogenetic testing for psychotropic medications. Our results indicate that, although concerns remain and scientific advancements are required, respondents were in support of pharmacogenetic testing for medications used to treat schizophrenia. © 2014 The Authors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MDMA is certainly damaging after 25 years of empirical research: a reply and refutation of Doblinet al. (2014)

Human Psychopharmacology recently published my review into the increase in empirical knowledge about the human psychobiology of MDMA over the past 25 years (Parrott, 2013a). Deficits have been demonstrated in retrospective memory, prospective memory, higher cognition, complex visual processing, sleep architecture, sleep apnoea, pain, neurohormonal activity, and psychiatric status. Neuroimaging studies have shown serotonergic deficits, which are associated with lifetime Ecstasy/MDMA usage, and degree of neurocognitive impairment. Basic psychological skills remain intact. Ecstasy/MDMA use by pregnant mothers leads to psychomotor impairments in the children. Hence, the damaging effects of Ecstasy/MDMA were far more widespread than was realized a few years ago. In their critique of my review, Doblin et al. (2014) argued that my review contained misstatements, omitted contrary findings, and recited dated misconceptions. In this reply, I have answered all the points they raised. I have been able to refute each of their criticisms by citing the relevant empirical data, since many of their points were based on inaccurate summaries of the actual research findings. Doblin and colleagues are proponents of the use of MDMA for drug-assisted psychotherapy, and their strongest criticisms were focused on my concerns about this proposal. However, again all the issues I raised were based on sound empirical evidence or theoretical understanding. Indeed I would recommend potentially far safer co-drugs such as D-cycloserine or oxytocin. In summary, MDMA can induce a wide range of neuropsychobiological changes, many of which are damaging to humans.

Quality of case reports of adverse drug reactions with psychotropic drugs: a 25‐year review

Case reports of adverse reactions with psychotropic drugs can be useful in raising hypotheses, to be tested with more rigorous study designs. However such reports have significant methodological drawbacks, making it hard to determine causality. We undertook a systematic assessment of the quality of case reports and small case series published within Human Psychopharmacology over 25 years. For reports of adverse drug reactions, modified Bradford Hill criteria for causality (for consistency, strength, specificity, temporal relationship and plausibility) were used to ascertain the quality of the account. Reports which had been cited at least 10 times by December 2010 were examined in detail, to assess their overall contribution in extending understanding and influencing clinical practice. Of 40 reports of adverse drug reactions, only seven were sufficiently robust for confidence in probable or possible causality. Nine reports had been cited more than 10 times: the five most frequently cited reports of adverse drug reactions described movement disorders, suicidal thoughts and discontinuation symptoms with SSRIs: clinical relevance was high, but their quality was not markedly greater than less frequently cited reports. Nearly all reports of adverse drug reactions, published in a single journal over 25 years, were insufficiently robust to demonstrate probable causality. Reports that are cited frequently become influential because of their potential clinical relevance, rather than due to their methodological quality.