Symptom provocation studies in psychiatric disorders: Scientific value, risks, and future

Several lines of investigation have contributed to the increasing recogniti on of the biological basis of psychiatric disorders. Symptom provocation st udies have made important contributions toward this. With the emergence of novel methodologies, the role of symptom provocation studies has come under increasing scrutiny and debate. The scientific contributions and risks of symptom provocation studies are discussed using the psychostimulant paradig m in schizophrenia research as the prototypical study. The application of s tudies in other areas of medicine that carry risks similar to those associa ted with symptom provocation studies, are also reviewed. The authors draw o n the parallel of cardiac stress testing to highlight risks:benefits issues . Finally, the authors discuss the future of symptom provocation studies an d emphasize that these studies will need to meet the highest scientific tan dards, ethical standards and safeguards. (C) 1999 Society of Biological Psy chiatry.