WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT• Mothers are using medicines during pregnancies; the extent varies across the world and is generally difficult to compare.• In this registry-based study, we examined more than 100 000 Norwegian pregnancies and described the drug prescription pattern of both fathers and mothers around conception and during pregnancy (mothers). WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS• In every trimester of pregnancy, about 30% of the mothers was dispensed a drug.• The total drug exposure did not seem to diminish throughout pregnancy.• One-quarter of the fathers was dispensed drugs during the last 3 months prior to conception. AIMSThe primary aim of this study was to describe the use of prescribed drugs in both mothers and fathers before and during pregnancy in Norway. METHODSThis population-based cohort study was based on data retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and the Norwegian Prescription Database. These registries cover the entire population of Norway. Information on >100 000 births during [2004][2005][2006] in the birth registry was linked to prescription data. Prescriptions issued to mothers just prior to, during and after the pregnancies as well as prescriptions to fathers just prior to conception were identified. RESULTSAmong mothers, 83% were prescribed drugs during the period 3 months prior to estimated conception until 3 months after giving birth. The mothers who received drugs were prescribed on average 3.3 different Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes (range 1-38). During pregnancy, 57% were prescribed drugs. In the first trimester, 33% of mothers were dispensed drugs, while the figure was 29% for mothers in the last trimester. Among fathers, 25% used prescribed drugs during the 3 months prior to conception, with on average 1.9 different ATC codes (range 1-22). CONCLUSIONLarge proportions of both fathers and mothers were dispensed drugs prior to conception or during pregnancy. While there is a high awareness of the issues involved in maternal drug use in pregnancy, possible teratogenic effects of drug use in fathers shortly before conception should be further explored.British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology DOI:10.1111DOI:10. /j.1365DOI:10. -2125DOI:10. .2008 Br J Clin Pharmacol / 65:5 / 653-660 / 653 IntroductionDuring the last 40 years, several studies have been published on possible associations between maternal drug use and birth defects [1]. Physicians and pregnant women are, in many cases, aware of possible teratogenic effects connected to the use of specific drugs. However, a number of pregnancies are not planned. This may lead to exposure to drugs which are not recommended for pregnant women before the women are aware of their pregnancies and typically during organogenesis in the first trimester. Some women, however, need drugs during pregnancy to treat chronic conditions, e.g. asthma, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus or psychiatric disorders. In addition to possible birth defects, drug use later in pregnancy may also influence the course of the pregnancy and the hea...

Use of amphetamine and methamphetamine is widespread in the general population and common among patients with psychiatric disorders. Amphetamines may induce symptoms of psychosis very similar to those of acute schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. This has been an argument for using amphetamine-induced psychosis as a model for primary psychotic disorders. To distinguish the two types of psychosis on the basis of acute symptoms is difficult. However, acute psychosis induced by amphetamines seems to have a faster recovery and appears to resolve more completely compared to schizophrenic psychosis. The increased vulnerability for acute amphetamine induced psychosis seen among those with schizophrenia, schizotypal personality and, to a certain degree other psychiatric disorders, is also shared by non-psychiatric individuals who previously have experienced amphetamine-induced psychosis. Schizophrenia spectrum disorder and amphetamine-induced psychosis are further linked together by the finding of several susceptibility genes common to both conditions. These genes probably lower the threshold for becoming psychotic and increase the risk for a poorer clinical course of the disease.The complex relationship between amphetamine use and psychosis has received much attention but is still not adequately explored. Our paper reviews the literature in this field and proposes a stress-vulnerability model for understanding the relationship between amphetamine use and psychosis.

Excessive alcohol intake can alter the gut microbiota, which may underlie the pathophysiology of alcohol-related diseases. We examined gut microbiota composition and functions in patients with alcohol overconsumption for >10 years, compared to a control group of patients with a history of no or low alcohol intake. Faecal microbiota composition was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Gut microbiota functions were evaluated by quantification of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and predictive metagenome profiling (PICRUSt). Twenty-four patients, mean age 64.8 years (19 males), with alcohol overconsumption, and 18 control patients, mean age 58.2 years (14 males) were included. The two groups were comparable regarding basic clinical variables. Nutritional assessment revealed lower total score on the screening tool Mini Nutritional Assessment, lower muscle mass as assessed by handgrip strength, and lower plasma vitamin C levels in the alcohol overconsumption group. Bacteria from phylum Proteobacteria were found in higher relative abundance, while bacteria from genus Faecalibacterium were found in lower relative abundance in the group of alcohol overconsumers. The group also had higher levels of the genera Sutterella, Holdemania and Clostridium, and lower concentration and percentage of butyric acid. When applying PICRUSt to predict the metagenomic composition, we found that genes related to invasion of epithelial cells were more common in the group of alcohol overconsumers. We conclude that gut microbiota composition and functions in patients with alcohol overconsumption differ from patients with low consumption of alcohol, and seem to be skewed into a putative pro-inflammatory direction.

Earlier research has shown that medical students in the United Kingdom and the United States report a higher level of nervous symptoms than the general population. To better understand how medical students in Norway compare with these findings, 299 male and female students in the clinical curriculum at the University of Oslo were asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves and their mental health. Medical students in Norway do not differ from the general population in mental health. However, the students report a lower level of general self-esteem than the general population. The male students had more nervous symptoms and a less general self-esteem than the female students compared with the general population. This research also shows that medical school stress is a good predictor of nervous symptoms even when psychosocial variables such as marital or cohabitation status, confident other and general self-esteem are taken into consideration.