About

Dawn-Christi M Bruijnzeel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree in Neurobiological Sciences from the University of Florida, where she also completed her medical degree and general psychiatry residency. Her professional experience includes working at the Malcom Randall VA Hospital for over 18 years, with a focus on inpatient care, neuromodulation, treatment refractory depression, and psychosis. She has played a significant role in revitalizing and expanding neuromodulation programs at the VA, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and ketamine/esketamine treatments. Dr. Bruijnzeel is actively involved in clinical practice, providing consultations for treatment refractory illnesses and seeing both inpatient and outpatient cases. She has a strong interest in community psychiatry, having volunteered extensively at community clinics and established a Street Psychiatry program to bring psychiatric care to unhoused individuals. Her administrative roles include serving as Chief of Psychiatry Service and now as Associate Chief for Inpatient Services at the VA. As an educator, she provides clinical teaching and didactics to psychiatry residents, medical students, and other trainees within the UF Department of Psychiatry.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Genetics
• Pharmacology
• Clinical psychology
• Physiology
• Internal medicine
• Gerontology
• Anesthesia
• Biology

Selected publications

• Update on Cognitive Enhancers Among the Older Adult Population: A Clinical Review

  Current Psychiatry Reports · 2024 · 3 citations

  • Gerontology
  • Medicine
  • Psychology
  PublisherDOI

• Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

  2024

  • Psychology
  • Clinical psychology
  PublisherDOI

• Rodent models for nicotine withdrawal

  Journal of Psychopharmacology · 2021 · 55 citations

  • Medicine
  • Anesthesia
  • Physiology

  BACKGROUND: Animal models are critical to improve our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine dependence in rodents can be established by repeated nicotine injections, chronic nicotine infusion via osmotic minipumps, oral nicotine intake, tobacco smoke exposure, nicotine vapor exposure, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure. The time course of nicotine withdrawal symptoms associated with these methods has not been reviewed in the literature. AIM: The goal of this review is to discuss nicotine withdrawal symptoms associated with the cessation of nicotine, tobacco smoke, nicotine vapor, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure in rats and mice. Furthermore, age and sex differences in nicotine withdrawal symptoms are reviewed. RESULTS: Cessation of nicotine, tobacco smoke, nicotine vapor, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure leads to nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as somatic withdrawal signs, changes in locomotor activity, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, learning and memory deficits, attention deficits, hyperalgesia, and dysphoria. These withdrawal symptoms are most pronounced within the first week after cessation of nicotine exposure. Anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, and deficits in learning and memory may persist for several months. Adolescent (4-6 weeks old) rats and mice display fewer nicotine withdrawal symptoms than adults (>8 weeks old). In adult rats and mice, females show fewer nicotine withdrawal symptoms than males. The smoking cessation drugs bupropion and varenicline reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms in rodents. CONCLUSION: The nicotine withdrawal symptoms that are observed in rodents are similar to those observed in humans. Tobacco smoke and e-cigarette aerosol contain chemicals and added flavors that enhance the reinforcing properties of nicotine. Therefore, more valid animal models of tobacco and e-cigarette use need to be developed by using tobacco smoke and e-cigarette aerosol exposure methods to induce dependence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Antipsychotic Polypharmacy: State of the Science and Guidelines for Practice. It’s difficult to stop once you start

  Asian Journal of Psychiatry · 2018-03-01 · 7 citations

  editorial1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Stop Chasing One’s Tail: Resist the Practice of Treating Serial Side-Effects

  Asian Journal of Psychiatry · 2018-01-01

  editorial1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Pros and Cons of Medical Cannabis use by People with Chronic Brain Disorders

  Current Neuropharmacology · 2017-07-31 · 41 citations

  reviewOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world and there is growing concern about the mental health effects of cannabis use. These concerns are at least partly due to the strong increase in recreational and medical cannabis use and the rise in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels. Cannabis is widely used to self-medicate by older people and people with brain disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE: This review provides an overview of the perceived benefits and adverse mental health effects of cannabis use in people with ALS, MS, AD, PD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. RESULTS: The reviewed studies indicate that cannabis use diminishes some symptoms associated with these disorders. Cannabis use decreases pain and spasticity in people with MS, decreases tremor, rigidity, and pain in people with PD, and improves the quality of life of ALS patients by improving appetite, and decreasing pain and spasticity. Cannabis use is more common among people with schizophrenia than healthy controls. Cannabis use is a risk factor for schizophrenia which increases positive symptoms in schizophrenia patients and diminishes negative symptoms. Cannabis use worsens bipolar disorder and there is no evidence that bipolar patients derive any benefit from cannabis. In late stage Alzheimer's patients, cannabis products may improve food intake, sleep quality, and diminish agitation. CONCLUSION: Cannabis use diminishes some of the adverse effects of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, chronic cannabis use may lead to cognitive impairments and dependence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Modelling schizophrenia: Opportunities and challenges

  Asian Journal of Psychiatry · 2017-02-01 · 2 citations

  editorialSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia. We can do better

  Asian Journal of Psychiatry · 2017-08-01 · 1 citations

  editorial1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Spotlight on brexpiprazole and its potential in the treatment of schizophrenia and as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of major depression

  Drug Design Development and Therapy · 2016-05-01 · 11 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Antipsychotic agents, utilized for the treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders, differ substantially in terms of their pharmacology and adverse effect profiles. Incomplete and variable efficacy, differences in safety-tolerability, and highly heterogeneous response across individuals prompt development of new agents. Brexpiprazole is one of the two most recently introduced antipsychotic agents approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and as an adjunct for treatment of major depressive disorder. Its pharmacology, clinical trial data, and efficacy and side effects in comparison with other antipsychotic agents are discussed. Brexpiprazole is a dopamine D-2 partial agonist with potent activity at the serotonin 5HT1A and 5HT2A and noradrenergic alpha-1B and alpha-2C receptors. Placebo-controlled clinical trials in persons with schizophrenia support its efficacy in treating psychosis and preventing relapse. Short-term clinical trials also support its efficacy as an adjunct to antidepressants in treating major depressive disorder in individuals inadequately responsive to antidepressant treatment alone. Adverse effects include akathisia, gastrointestinal side effects, and moderate weight gain. The recommended oral dose of brexpiprazole is 2-4 mg/day in schizophrenia and 2-3 mg/day as adjunctive treatment in major depression. It must be titrated up to its target dose over 1-2 weeks and is effective in once-daily dosing. How brexpiprazole's unique pharmacological profile will translate into clinically meaningful differences from other antipsychotic agents is unclear. Its place in our antipsychotic armamentarium and potential role in the treatment of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder will be determined by additional clinical data and experience.

  PublisherDOI

• Critical Role for Brain Stress Systems in the Negative Affective State Associated With Nicotine Withdrawal

  Elsevier eBooks · 2016-08-27

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Rajiv Tandon

  Stryker (United States)

  14 shared

• Uma Suryadevara

  8 shared

• Mehdi Yazdanpanah

  University of Florida

  4 shared

• Adriaan W. Bruijnzeel

  University of Florida

  4 shared

• Rita Hitching

  1 shared

• Howard H. Fenn

  1 shared

• Meena Nuthi

  University of Florida

  1 shared

• Deanna Fernandes

  1 shared

Education

• B.S., Neurobiological Sciences

  University of Florida

• M.D.

  University of Florida

• Other, General Psychiatry

  University of Florida

Awards & honors

• Distinguished Fellow 2014 American Psychiatric Association
• Fellow 2013 American Psychiatric Association
• APA-Aventis Fellowship for Women 2004
• John E. Adams Memorial Academic Achievement Award 2004 Unive…
• Resident of the Year 2004 University of Florida, Department…