Pr. Guy Chouinard

Pr Dr Med Guy Chouinard md msc pharmacol

Narrative Summary

• Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Educated pre-and post-graduate studies B.A. M.D. M.Sc. Pharmacology, University of Montreal, Montreal
• Diploma in Psychiatry McGill University, Montreal
• Diploma in Pharmacology University of Montreal
• Training in psychopharmacology Dr T.A. Ban and H.E. Lehmann, McGill University, Montreal
• Training in clinical pharmacology Dr Léon Tétreault, Phamacology Departement University of Montreal

Guy Chouinard MD, M.Sc. (Pharmacol) F.R.C.P.(C), F.A.P.A. was a Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at McGill University (1973-2013) and Full Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal (1973-2010). He was an Invited Professor at the Faculties of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland,and University of Paris-Sud XI in France.

• Faculty Member, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons-Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology residency program, McGill University, Canada.
• Member, Editorial Board of the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

Researcher Emeritus, University Mental Health Institute of Montreal, Research Centre Fernand Seguin,University of Montreal, Canada.
Member Emeritus of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).
Director Emeritus of the Psychotic Disorders External Services at the McGill University Health Center at McGill University.
Founding Director and Director Emeritus of the Royal College Accredited Program in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at McGill University.
Founding Director and Director Emeritus of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, McGill University Health Center at McGill University.
Designation Founder of the Specialty of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Honorary Founding Fellow of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Pr. Chouinard’s specialized in randomized clinical trials. His psychopharmacological research has significantly contributed to the progress of pharmacological treatments of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety disorders. He conducted innovative studies of benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine antianxiety/hypnotics, antiepileptics, atypical antipsychotics, and SSRI/SNRI antidepressants. Among his contributions are his pioneer clinical trials on alprazolam, clonazepam, fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, tomoxetine, tryptophan-nicotinamide,lecithine, dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (benserazide), magnesium, risperidone, clozapine, valproate, lamotrigine and gabapentin (Patent No.: US 6,372,7920B1 Apr.16, 2002).
He specialized in drug-induced disorders, studying tardive dyskinesia, parkinsonism and other drug-induced movement disorders. He developed a valid and reliable clinical scale, the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale ESRS)@1979Chouinard, to predict and detect the occurrence of drug-induced movement disorders, which is used world-wide in clinical research and practice. He developed with Dr Larry Alphs the abbreviated version of the ESRS (A)@2004Chouinard/Alphs (scales avalaible upon request) (Psychother Psychosom 2023;92:359-366). With Dr Robert Miller, he developed a rating scale for psychotic symptoms related to dopamine , the Rating Scale for Psychotic Symptoms (RSPS@Chouinard1999) (scale avalaible upon request) (Schizophrenia Research 1999;38:101-122 and 123-150). He discovered syndromes such rebound anxiety, rebound panic, persistent postwithdrawal disorders and supersensitivity psychosis. Recently (2015) with Dr VA Chouinard, he proposed a new classification of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)/Selective Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) withdrawal syndromes. With Dr Fiemmetta Cosci (University of Florence), he worked and works on antidepressant drug withdrawal, and with Pr C.S. Peretti (Sorbonne Université), he worked  and works on drug-resistant psychiatric illnesses.

He has published more than 300 refereed reports in scientific journals, and several book chapters on psychopharmacological treatments and psychiatric semiology. In addition, he has presented more than 600 communications at scientific meetings, lecturing as a guest speaker more than 300 times.

PRIZES and DISTINCTIONS
1976 Prix de recherche clinique, Association des médecins de langue française du Canada
1984 Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
1989 Wyeth-Ayerst Award for New Research, 3rd Prize, VIII World Congress of Psychiatry
1990 Lederle Award for Clinical Research, Canadian Society for Clinical Pharmacology
1991Lederle Senior Investigator Award, Canadian Society for Clinical Pharmacology
1993 Médaille du 150 anniversaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal
1994 The Best Doctors in America (Chouinard G: Psychiatry, North America) by: Steven Nalfeh and Gregory White Smith
1996 The Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Distinguished Scientist 1996 Award for Schizophrenia Research, Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation
2003 Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
2004 Distinguished Achievement Award in Clinical Pharmacology, Canadian Society for Clinical Pharmacology
2004 Heinz Lehmann Award, Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology

The Heinz Lehmann Award of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) of was awarded for 30 years of innovative clinical trials and studies of interrelations between psychoses and drug-induced movement disorders, both are  published in 2 papers :

298. Chouinard G: The Search for New Off Label Indications for Antidepressant, Antianxiety, Antipsychotic and Anticonvulsant Drugs: Part 1: Heinz Lehmann Award 2004. J Psychiatry Neurosci 31(3) :168-176, 2006.
299. Chouinard G: Inter-relationships Between Psychiatric Symptoms and Drug-Induced Movement Disorder (DIMD): Part 2: Heinz Lehmann Award 2004. J Psychiatry Neurosci 31(3) :177-180, 2006.
Both papers are available upon request.
We give here the two abstracts.
2006 Abstract Paper I Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) 
Most drugs in medicine are prescribed for several illnesses, but it took several years for psychotropic drugs to have multiple clinical indications. Our search for serotoninergic drugs in affective illnesses and related disorders lead to new off-label indications for fluoxetine, sertraline, tryptophan, clonazepam, alprazolam, tomoxetine, buproprion, duloxetine, risperidone and gabapentin. Various clinical trial designs were used for these proof-of-concept studies. Novel therapeutic uses of benzodiazepines, such as panic disorder and mania, were found with the introduction of two high-potency benzodiazepines, clonazepam and alprazolam, which were thought to have serotoninergic properties. Our initial clinical trials of fluoxetine and sertraline led to their approved indications in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and our trials of gabapentin to new indications in anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, panic attack and social phobia) and sleep disorders (insomnia).

2006 Abstract Paper II Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) 

After 30 years of clinical research in Drug-Induced Movement Disorders (DIMD) related to dopamine dysfunction, , we are still facing unresolved issues regarding the inter-relationship between psychiatric symptoms and DIMD.  Recently, I proposed a new classification of Drug-Induced Movement Disorders (DIMD), which includes abnormal movements previously labeled extrapyramidal symptoms. Drug-Induced Movement Disorders (DIMD), caused by psychotropic drugs is still confused with psychiatric symptoms treated by the same drugs. The results from two international multicenter trials, the InterSePT and the Ris-Consta Studies, conducted in the era of both typical and atypical antipsychotic agents, which included over 3000 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder worldwide, still showed a high, but decreasing incidence of pre-treatment DIMD, which varied from 57.5% (1998-1999) to 47.4% (1999-2000) and a decreasing incidence of tardive dykinesia (TD), which varied from 12% (1998-1999) to 10.2% (1999-2000), reflecting the greater use of atypical antipsychotic drugs. Furthermore, in both studies, psychiatric symptoms as measured by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) were significantly correlated with Drug-Induced Movement Disorders (DIMD) subtypes, thus suggesting the need for additional psychiatric measurement instruments in schizophrenia and related psychoses.