Psychopharmacology of children and adolescents: pharmacokinetics and relationships of plasma/serum levels to response.

This article reviews data from the literature on pharmacokinetics and on relationships of plasma/serum levels to response in the child and adolescent population. The following topics will be covered: saliva vs. serum monitoring, drug-drug interactions, enzyme induction, and the effect of febrile illnesses on protein binding. Similarity of elimination processes based on manifestations that are genetically determined across age groups will be contrasted to elimination mechanisms that are different for the pediatric group due to age specific developmental considerations. Age related differences in plasma/serum level response relationships will be discussed with respect to study population characteristics and pharmacodynamic implications.