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CLINICAL THERAPEUTICs®/VoL. 2 6 , NO.

12, 2 0 0 4

Metabolic Risk During Antipsychotic Treatment

John W. Newcomer, MD
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

ABSTRACT

Background: Compared with the general population, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate an
increased prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increased
adiposity is associated with decreases in insulin sensitivity, leading to an increased risk of hyperglycemia and
hyperlipidemia. Antipsychotic medications can increase adiposity, and a range of evidence from case reports,
observational studies, retrospective database analyses, and controlled experimental studies (including random-
ized clinical trials) suggests that treatment with antipsychotic medications may be associated with an increased
risk for insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and T2DM.
Objective: This article reviews current evidence for the hypothesis that treatment with antipsychotic medica-
tions may be associated with increased risks for weight gain, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and
T2DM, and examines the relationship of adiposity to medical risk.
Methods: Relevant publications were identified through a search of MEDLINE from 1973 to the present using
the primary search parameters "diabetes or hyperglycemia or glucose or insulin or lipids" and "antipsychotic."
Meeting abstracts and earlier nonindexed articles concerning antipsychotic-associated weight gain and metabol-
ic disturbance were also reviewed. Key studies in this emerging literature were summarized, including case
reports, observational studies, retrospective database analyses, and controlled experimental studies.
Results: Individual antipsychotic medications are associated with different degrees of treatment-induced
increases in body weight and adiposity, ranging from modest effects (<2 kg) with amisulpride, ziprasidone, and
aripiprazole to clinically significant increases with olanzapine (4-10 kg). In addition to strong evidence concern-
ing the effect of adiposity on insulin sensitivity in nonpsychiatric populations, increased adiposity in patients
with schizophrenia has been associated with decreases in insulin sensitivity; this and other effects may contribute
to increases in plasma glucose concentrations and lipid levels.
Conclusion: Metabolic changes in psychiatric patients who receive antipsychotic agents can contribute to the
development of the metabolic syndrome and increase the risk for T2DM and CVD. (Clin Ther. 2004;26:
1936-1946) Copyright @ 2004 Excerpta Medica, Inc.
Key words: schizophrenia, adverse effects, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia.
This publication is based on a presentation at the 6th International Psychiatry Forum, "Mind Matters," held June 19, 2004, in Versailles, France, and spon-
sored by sanofi-aventis.
AcceptedJot publication November 24, 2004.
Express Track online publication December 13, 2004. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2004.12.003
Printed in the USA. Reproduction in whole or part is not pennitted. 0149 2918/04/$19.00

]936 Copyright @ 2004 Excerpta Nedica, Inc.


J.W. Newcomer

INTRODUCTION The long-term risks of hyperglycemia include


Atypical antipsychotic drugs offer important benefits microvascular disease (retinopathy, nephropathy,
for many patients with disorders such as schizophre- and neuropathies) and macrovascular disease, the
nia, including a reduced risk for the extrapyramidal latter encompassing atherosclerosis-related CVD
side effects associated with conventional antipsy- (ie, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease,
chotics. However, certain atypical antipsychotics can and peripheral vascular disease). In addition,
produce substantial weight gain and increased adi- T2DM is associated with a risk of short-term com-
posity in vulnerable individuals, and these agents plications, including diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
have also been associated with an increased risk for and nonketotic hyperosmolar states, which, al-
dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). though relatively uncommon, can be severe, s,9-1s
Patients with mental illness have elevated rates of The mortality risk of DKA is -2% in optimal clini-
mortality and medical comorbidity, including cal settings and rises as high as 20% in elderly
increased rates of T2DM and cardiovascular disease patients, with mortality risk generally increasing
(CVD). ~ The data concerning increased risk for with age, intercurrent illness, and delay in the initi-
T2DM are particularly strong for depression, and ation of insulin therapy, l<~s
lifestyle factors (eg, reduced activity, poor nutrition) The American Diabetes Association (ADA) consen-
may be key.~ Primary and secondary prevention target- sus statement, ~6 cosponsored by the American
ing risk factors for T2DM and CVD may be particu- Psychiatric Association, the American Association of
larly important in psychiatric populations. Clinical Endocrinologists, and the North American
A key risk factor for CVD is excess adiposity, which Association for the Study of Obesity, noted that cloza-
can be indirectly estimated using the weight and pine and olanzapine treatment are associated with the
height function of body mass index (BMI). In adults, greatest potential weight gain and with consistent evi-
increases in BMI beyond a threshold of 25 kg/m2 are dence for an increased risk of T2DM and dyslipi-
associated with increasing risk of medical illness and demia. The report emphasized that physicians should
mortality.2,s Importantly, not all body fat is associated consider multiple factors, including the presence of
with the same degree of risk. Increases in abdomi- medical and psychiatric conditions, when evaluating
nal adiposity, particularly visceral abdominal fat, are the risks and benefits of prescribing specific antipsy-
strongly associated with decreases in insulin sensitiv- chotic agents, and that the potential benefits of drugs
ity.~ Decreased insulin sensitivity, sometimes referred with metabolic liabilities may under certain cir-
to as insulin resistance, is associated with physiolog- cumstances outweigh the potential risks (eg, use of
ic changes that include impaired glucose control, an clozapine therapy in patients with treatment-resistant
atherogenic dyslipidemia that involves increases in schizophrenia).
plasma triglycerides and more-oxidized low-density This article reviews current evidence for the
lipoprotein (LDL) particles, increased blood pressure, hypothesis that treatment with antipsychotic medica-
increased risk of blood clotting, and increases in tions may be associated with increased risks for
markers of inflammation, all associated with an weight gain, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dys-
increased risk for CVD. s Based on National Cho- lipidemia, and T2DM, and examines the relationship
lesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel of adiposity to medical risk. Relevant publications
(ATP) guidelines, 6 a patient with any 3 of the follow- were identified through a search of MEDLINE from
ing is considered to have metabolic syndrome (an 1975 to the present using the primary search param-
important risk factor for T2DM r and CVDS): obesity eters "diabetes or hyperglycemia or glucose or insulin
(defined as waist circumference >102 cm for men, or lipids" and "antipsychotic." Meeting abstracts and
88 cm for women), low levels of high-density lipo- earlier nonindexed articles concerning antipsychotic-
protein cholesterol (<40 mg/dL for men, 50 mg/dL associated weight gain and metabolic disturbance
for women), high triglyceride levels (>150 mg/dL), were also reviewed. Key studies in this emerging lit-
elevated blood pressure (>130 mm Hg systolic or erature were summarized, including case reports,
>85 mm Hg diastolic), or increased fasting blood glu- observational studies, retrospective database analy-
cose levels (>110 mg/dL). ses, and controlled experimental studies.

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CLINICAL THERAPEUTICS®

OBESITY, DIABETES, AND ANTIPSYCHOTICS found that the relative incidence and magnitude of
Certain antipsychotic medications can cause clinical- weight gain was not equal among antipsychotic medi-
ly significant weight gain, which is a growing concern cations. 29 Short-term treatment with various agents
given the known health consequences of obesity. has been reported to produce increases in body
Obesity and weight gain are major risk factors for weight ranging from <1 kg to >4 kg (Figure)) °,31
insulin resistance and T2DM, ~r leading to concerns Studies of the long-term effects on body weight of
about the weight gain induced by some psychotropic antipsychotic drugs are more relevant to clinical prac-
treatment regimens, particularly certain antipsychot- tice, in which long-term treatment is the routine.
ic medications. Pooling multiple doses assessed in the clinical trials
The hypothesis that weight gain is a risk factor programs, aripiprazole32-36 and ziprasidone3°,3r-39 have
only in the general population and is not related to been associated with a mean weight gain of -1 kg
the risk of T2DM during antipsychotic treatment ~s over 1 year; amisulpride (not approved for use in
would seem to depend on the existence of u n k n o w n the United States) with a gain o f - 1 . 5 kg over 1
protective factors that block the adverse effects of year31; quetiapine ~°#1 and risperidone ~2#3 with a
adiposity that have been well established in a variety gain of 2 to 3 kg over 1 year; and olanzapine with a
of species and human populations. Given the evi- gain of >6 kg over 1 year. **-.6 A mean weight gain of
dence for a higher rather than lower prevalence of >10 kg was observed in patients who received olan-
diabetes in psychiatric populations in almost all data zapine at doses between 12.5 and 17.5 mg, the high-
sets examined to date, >-2s it seems unlikely that est doses tested in large-scale pivotal trials. ** The
such protective factors are operating in individuals results of prospective randomized comparisons of
with psychiatric illness. Therefore, it would seem individual agents have been consistent with the re-
prudent to assume that antipsychotic-induced suits for individual agents from the pivotal trials. For
weight gain, like any other increase in total fat mass, example, after 6 months of treatment with amisul-
may be associated with a variety of adverse physio- pride (n = 189) and olanzapine (n = 188), the latter
logic effects. was associated with a significantly greater mean
A review of absolute weight gain in various placebo- increase in body weight (3.9 kg vs 1.6 kg, respective-
controlled trials and head-to-head comparisons ly; P < 0.01). *r

5-
4.45
4.15

4-

2.92

O
o0
._c 2.10
2-
t~
_c
(o

0.80
Ig

l 1 T T
Ziprasidone Amisulpride Risperidone Sertindole Olanzapine Clozapine

I 0-Week Weight Gain

Figure. Mean changes in body weight associated with different atypical antipsychotic medications. Adapted from Allison et al 3°
and Leucht et al. 31

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J.W. Newcomer

I N S U L I N RESISTANCE, DIABETES, A N D generation), retrospective database analyses (often


ANTIPSYCHOTIC TREATHENT useful for hypothesis testing, although methodologic
A range of evidence suggests that treatment with cer- concerns can limit interpretability, as discussed later),
tain antipsychotic medications is associated with an and controlled experimental studies, including ran-
increased risk for insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, domized clinical trials (generally recognized as
dyslipidemia, and T2DM compared with no treat- hypothesis testing), have identified an association
ment or treatment with alternative antipsychotics. 1 between certain antipsychotic medications and
Interpretation of the literature has been complicated adverse metabolic events, including hyperglycemia,
by reports that patients with major mental disorders dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, exacerbation of
such as schizophrenia have an increased prevalence existing type 1 diabetes mellitus or T2DM, new-onset
of abnormalities in glucose regulation (eg, insulin T2DM, and DKA. 1 Adverse effects on glucose and
resistance) before the initiation of antipsychotic the> lipid metabolism (eg, T2DM, dyslipidemia) have
apy. .8 Early studies did not control for age, body more frequently and consistently been associated
weight, adiposity, ethnicity, or diet, 2<~9 and most with clozapine and olanzapine treatment than with
experts hypothesized that differences in key factors quetiapine or risperidone treatment. 16 Reports detail-
such as diet and activity level between patients and ing limited short- and long-term weight gain with
control subjects contributed to at least some of the ziprasidone, amisulpride, and aripiprazole are consis-
observed abnormalities. tent with little or no evidence of adverse effects on
A recent cross-sectional study in 26 hospitalized metabolic outcomes. 1,1<~9,51
first-episode antipsychotic-naive patients with schizo- Although the relative risk for T2DM during anti-
phrenia found that 15% of these patients had psychotic treatment appears to match the rank order
impaired fasting glucose. 28 The patients with schizo- of weight-gain potential for the different agents,
phrenia had significantly higher values compared weight gain may not explain all the observed meta-
with control subjects matched for lifestyle and bolic adverse effects. Newcomer et al 5° examined the
anthropometric measures for the following parame- effects of conventional and atypical antipsychotics on
ters: mean fasting plasma glucose (95.8 vs 88.2 glucose regulation in chronically treated nondiabetic
mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.03, Student 2-tailed t test), patients with schizophrenia compared with untreated
insulin (9.8 vs 7.7 pU/mL; P < 0.05), and cortisol lev- healthy control subjects. All patient and control
els (499.4 vs 303.2 nmol/L; P < 0.01). The elevated groups were carefully matched for adiposity and age.
plasma cortisol levels observed in this sample proba- Using a modified oral glucose tolerance test, these
bly contributed to some of the increase in insulin investigators found that patients receiving olanzapine
resistance and plasma glucose concentrations. (n = 12) and clozapine (n = 9) had significantly high-
However, hypercortisolemia is not typically observed er fasting and postload plasma glucose values com-
in antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia, 5° pared with patients receiving conventional antipsy-
so this study may have overestimated the degree of chotics (n = 17) and untreated healthy control
insulin resistance and hyperglycemia that can be subjects (n = 31) (all comparisons, P < 0.001). The
expected to persist past the acute psychotic episode group that received risperidone did not differ from
and/or agitated condition that led to hospitalization. the group that received conventional antipsychotics,
In any case, this study complements earlier reports but it had higher postload glucose levels compared
supporting the view that patients with schizo- with controls (P < 0.01). Patients who received olan-
phrenia and perhaps those with other major mental zapine and clozapine had higher calculated insulin
disorders may have an increased risk for insulin resistance compared with those who received con-
resistance and T2DM independent of their exposure ventional agents (P < 0.05 and P < 0.08, respective-
to antipsychotic medications. 2<~9 ly), whereas those who received risperidone or typi-
cal antipsychotics did not differ from controls.
LEVELS OF EVIDENCE Retrospective analyses of cases of new-onset T2DM
Evidence spanning case reports and prospective associated with clozapine, 1~ olanzapine, 52 and risperi-
observational studies (typically useful for hypothesis done 53 in the US Food and Drug Administration

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CLINICALTHERAPEUTICS®

(FDA) MedWatch database have suggested that ences in the prevalence of T2DM are probably <33%,
whereas the majority of new-onset T2DM cases were measurement error may complicate the detection of
associated with substantial weight gain or obesity, potentially relevant target signals. The considerable
-25% were not. These analyses also have suggested problem of signal-to-noise ratio in studies of this type
that most new-onset cases of T2DM occurred within suggests that variable results can be expected, includ-
the first 6 months after initiation of treatment. These ing potential failure to detect the target signal.
cases were typically associated with substantial weight The final level of evidence for an association
gain or obesity (ie, -75% of the time), and as many as between antipsychotics and metabolic outcomes is
half of them involved individuals with no family histo- derived from controlled experimental studies and ran-
ry of diabetes. Some of the cases exhibited a close tem- domized clinical trials. There is a growing body of evi-
poral relationship between initiation/discontinuation dence supporting the key observation that treatments
of treatment and development/resolution of the producing the greatest increases in body weight and
hyperglycemia-associated adverse event. adiposity are also associated with the most consistent
There have been at least 17 reported retrospec- pattern of clinically significant adverse effects on
tive analyses that used large administrative or health insulin sensitivity and blood glucose and lipid levels.
plan databases to test the strength of the association Five studies have reported statistically significant
between treatment with specific antipsychotic medi- increases in plasma insulin levels during olanzapine
cations and the presence of T2DM. 5*-r° Their com- treatment compared with various control conditions,
mon approach was to measure the association within such as placebo or another antipsychotic (all, P <
a database between the use of specific antipsychotic 0.05), 5°,r2-r5 suggesting decreased insulin sensitivity
medications and the presence of >1 surrogate indica- (ie, insulin resistance), and 2 of these studies reported a
tor of T2DM (eg, prescription of a hypoglycemic significant increase in insulin resistance from baseline
agent, relevant International Classification of Diseases, during olanzapine therapy (both studies, P < 0.05).r3,r*
Ninth Revision [ICD-9] codes). Approximately two With the exception of clozapineJ <5° other agents have
thirds of these studies had findings suggesting that not been reported to have this effect. Two studies
drugs associated with greater weight gain (eg, olanza- reported elevated insulin levels in 31% to 71% of
pine) were also associated with an increased risk for patients receiving olanzapine treatment (P < o.o5), r<rr
T2DM compared with either no treatment, conven- The findings of these studies are consistent with the
tional treatment, or a drug producing less weight gain evidence from general-population samples suggesting
(eg, risperidone). Although explicit tests of the rela- that conditions that increase adiposity tend to be asso-
tionship between diabetes risk and weight gain were ciated with increases in insulin resistance, potentially
not possible in these studies, none of them indicated leading to compensatory insulin secretion in persons
that any drug with high weight-gain potential was with pancreatic beta-cell reserve and to hyperglycemia
associated with a lower risk for T2DM compared with in individuals with relative beta-cell failure, r<r9
an alternative treatment. Approximately one third of A randomized, double-blind trial in 157 patients
the studies detected no difference between groups or with schizophrenia consisted of an 8-week fixed-dose
a nonspecific increase in the association for all treat- period and a 6-week variable-dose period of treatment
ed groups compared with untreated controls. with clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, or haloperi-
The most important problem with retrospective dol. 8° There were significant increases from baseline in
database analyses involves the use of insensitive and mean glucose levels at the end of the 6-week variable-
unreliable surrogate diagnostic indicators for T2DM dose period in the 22 patients who received olanza-
(eg, prescription of a hypoglycemic drug, ICD-9 pine (P < 0.02), and at the end of the 8-week fixed-
codes). Based on ADA estimates that -33% of individ- dose period in the 27 patients who received clozapine
uals with T2DM in the general population are undiag- (P < 0.01) and the 25 who received haloperidol (P <
nosed, rl many individuals with psychiatric disorders 0.03). The authors indicated that a trend-level differ-
will have no associated hypoglycemic prescription or ence was seen between treatments at the end of the
diabetes-related ICD-9 code to be detected in this type fixed-dose period (P = 0.06) but not at the end of the
of analysis. Given that antipsychotic-related differ- variable-dose period. Mean cholesterol levels were

1940
J.W. Newcomer

increased at the end of the variable-dose period in treatment (both parameters, P < 0.001). Median body
patients who received olanzapine (P < 0.01), and at weight increased from baseline by 7.2 lb (3.3 kg)
the end of the fixed-dose period in patients who with olanzapine, compared with 1.2 lb (0.5 kg) with
received clozapine (P < 0.02) or olanzapine (P < 0.04). ziprasidone, and median body weight was significant-
This study was complicated by baseline and end-point ly higher in the olanzapine group than in the ziprasi-
body weights in some groups not typically seen in done group at end point (P < 0.001). In this nonelder-
clinical practice or in other trials, underscoring the ly sample (mean [SD] age, 37.7 [9.71] years) with a
need to control for previous treatments and baseline significant compensatory hyperinsulinemic response,
status in future trials. A pooled analysis of safety data fasting plasma glucose levels did not change signifi-
from short-term (4-6 wk) controlled trials of aripipra- cantly in either the olanzapine or ziprasidone group.
zole in patients with schizophrenia found that Statistically significant increases from baseline in
changes in fasting serum glucose concentrations were median levels of fasting total cholesterol (20 mg/dL;
similar between patients who received aripiprazole P < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (13 mg/dL; P < 0.001),
(n = 860) and those who received placebo (n = 392).32 and triglycerides (26 mg/dL; P < 0.001) were observed
A 26-week controlled study of aripiprazole for relapse with olanzapine therapy. In contrast, minimal changes
prevention in 310 patients with schizophrenia found in these measures were observed with ziprasidone
no clinically or statistically significant change from therapy (-1,-1, and -2 mg/dL, respectively).
baseline in fasting glucose concentrations (change A similar 8-week, prospective, randomized, double-
from baseline, 0.13 mg/dL). 33 blind study compared amisulpride and olanzapine in
Limited findings to date suggest that quetiapine 85 patients with schizophrenia and depression. 82
therapy is not associated with a consistent increase in Mean body weight increased by 0.5 kg in the amisul-
the risk for T2DM or dyslipidemia. However, a possi- pride group and by 1.45 kg in the olanzapine group,
ble increase in metabolic risk would be predicted in a difference that was not statistically significant. As in
association with any treatment that produces increas- the study by Simpson et al, r* fasting glucose levels
es in body weight and adiposity, and quetiapine typi- showed little change, with a difference from baseline
cally produces modest weight gain (-2-3 kg over the to end point of-0.53 and 0.13 mmol/L for amisul-
long term). A 6-week randomized study of atypical pride and olanzapine, respectively. There was no sig-
antipsychotics in 56 patients with schizophrenia (14 nificant difference between groups, although the
patients each received clozapine, olanzapine, quetia- mean decrease from baseline to end point was statis-
pine, and risperidone) found significant changes from tically significant in the amisulpride group (P =
baseline in triglyceride levels with quetiapine thera- 0.041, Wilcoxon signed rank test).
py.81 In quetiapine recipients, the mean increase in Using pooled data from two 26-week, randomized,
triglyceride levels from baseline was significant at double-blind, controlled trials, ss,s* a prospective
week 6 (11.64 mg/dL; P < 0.05), although this mean study compared the effects of aripiprazole, olanza-
increase was -3 times less than that observed in pine, and placebo on the incidence of worsening
clozapine recipients (36.28 mg/dL) or olanzapine metabolic syndrome in 624 subjects. 8s The cumula-
recipients (31.23 mg/dL) (both, P < 0.01). No signif- tive incidence of worsening metabolic syndrome var-
icant increase from baseline in triglyceride levels was ied across treatments, from a mean (SE) incidence of
observed in risperidone recipients. 19.2% (4.0%) with olanzapine to 12.8% (4.5%) with
Fasting glucose, insulin, and lipid parameters were placebo and 7.6% (2.3%) with aripiprazole. A log-
assessed in a 6-week, randomized, double-blind com- rank test indicated a significant difference between
parison of olanzapine and ziprasidone therapy in 269 the 3 rates (P = 0.003), with a 69% relative risk
inpatients with an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia reduction for aripiprazole versus olanzapine. 83,8.
or schizoaffective disorder, r* Statistically significant
increases from baseline in median fasting plasma HONITORING AND TREATHENT
insulin levels and insulin resistance calculated using CONSIDERATIONS
the homeostasis model assessment were observed It would be prudent for clinicians to monitor patients
during olanzapine treatment but not ziprasidone taking atypical antipsychotics for weight increase and

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CLINICALTHERAPEUTICS®

related metabolic changes, particularly in the first sev- ACKNOWLEDGHENTS


eral months of treatment. The American Psychiatric This article was supported by a grant from sanofi-
Association recommends that fasting plasma glucose aventis, Paris, France.
and lipid levels and blood pressure be assessed within In 2004, Dr. Newcomer has served as a consultant
3 months after initiation of antipsychotic drug thera- for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; Bristol-Myers
py.1 Subsequent assessments of plasma glucose levels Squibb Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Janssen Phar-
should be performed at least annually, and more often maceutica Products, LP; Pfizer Inc.; and Wyeth
for patients with other risk factors for T2DM. If pa- Pharmaceuticals. He holds research grants from
tients exhibit clinical signs and symptoms of hyper- Janssen, Pfizer, the National Alliance for Research on
glycemia (eg, polyuria, polydipsia), clinicians should Schizophrenia and Depression, the National Institute
quickly assess plasma glucose concentrations and of Mental Health, and the Sidney R. Baer Foundation.
begin the process of correcting any abnormalities.
This assessment should include medical or endocrine REFERENCES
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patients with schizophrenia or related psychoses-- $38-$42.

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84. Casey DE, EItalien GJ, Waldeck R, et al. Metabolic Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric
syndrome comparison between olanzapine, ari- Association; May 17-22, 2003; San Francisco,
piprazole, and placebo. Poster presented at: 156th Calif.

Address correspondence to: John W. Newcomer, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School
of Medicine, Campus Box 8134, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. E-mail: newcomerj@
psychiatry.wustl.edu

1946

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