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The Role of the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) in Drug Sensitivity
Why are some people very sensitive to medications and develop side effects at low doses, while others can take "full strength" doses without problem? why are elderly people particularly sensitive to this affliction? Since physicians tend to initiate treatment at low doses and adjust the dose gradually in older patients, many people are "undertreated" for prolonged periods. The "brain's gatekeeper," the blood brain barrier (BBB), may behave differently in people who are particularly sensitive to drug effects. We are studying people who experience this problem and people who can take medications without difficulty to look for functional and structural differences in the BBB.
NIH grant K08 MH01483 (Dr. Cook, PI)
