Obtaining such data with the use of direct patient interviews, however, may also result in underestimation of sexual side effects. Recognition of sexual side effects in treated schizophrenia requires comprehensive patient reporting together with valid clinical measurement. The sexual side-effects scale of the ANNSERS provides a brief series of questions that can be

completed in the busy, time-pressured psychiatric clinic, validated against one of the gold standard sexual function tools. The individual sexual side-effect items in the ANNSERS have been used successfully in recent related research, for example, to demonstrate a MG-132 cell line reduction in sexual dysfunction following a switch Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to aripiprazole [Mir et al. 2008]. Our findings provide further support for the sexual side-effects subscale of the ANNSERS as a valid measure of sexual dysfunction in the treatment Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of schizophrenia. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank those patients who agreed to participate in the assessments. The authors would also like to express their thanks to Dr Katherine Aitchison, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. This study was carried out as an unfunded add-on

study to the CUtLASS trials [Jones et al. 2006; Lewis et al. 2006], which were funded by UK NHS R&D Health Technology Assessment. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical or not-for-profit sectors. Conflict of interest statement All authors declare no conflict of interest.
We report here a case of serotonin syndrome Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (SS) following initiation of venlafaxine 2 weeks after withdrawal of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), phenelzine, and also following repeated retrials of venlafaxine initiation. The case has clinically important implications regarding the period

of time necessary Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical for monoamine oxidase biosynthesis following use of an irreversible MAOI. SS is characterized by the presence of autonomic nervous system symptoms (such as hyperthermia, diaphoresis, mydriasis, nausea, shivering, hypertension, tachycardia, and diarrhoea), mental status changes (such as agitation, hypomania, and confusion), and neuromuscular abnormalities (such as myoclonus, incoordination, hyperreflexia, tremors, clonus, and muscle rigidity [Sternbach, 2003]). SS can be a life-threatening condition and occurs acutely due to markedly increased serotonin levels in brain, often following a coprescription nearly or overdose of serotonergic drugs. These drugs can increase serotonin levels by inhibiting metabolism (such as MAOI), increasing formation (such as l-tryptophan), inhibiting reuptake (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)), increase release (such as amphetamines) or increasing postsynaptic receptor sensitivity (such as lithium).