Dr. Okamoto participates in clinical pharmacologic research related to muscle relaxants which are used during anesthesia. Development of analytical procedure and quantitation of newly developed non-depolarizing type muscle relaxants in patient's biofluid; pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characterization of optically active isomers when existing in patient's biofluid; evaluation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of these muscle relaxants with reversible anti-cholinesterase drugs that are used to antagonize neuromuscular block by those muscle relaxants during anesthesia, are in focus. Development of In Vitro procedures to characterize and assess drug interactions which occur between these muscle relaxants when they are metabolized by plasma cholinesterase, with reversible cholinesterase inhibitors in patient's biofluid, is other focus. Other participation involves a clinical psychopharmacologic investigation of monopolar depression. Alteration of hypothalmic pituitary adrenocortical functions in a longitudinal time course of monopolar depression is investigated in patients. Developments of analytical procedures for simultaneously quantitating endogenously occurring and exogenously administrered glucocorticoids and their metabolites in patient's biofludids is in progress and the obtained results are correlated to the data obtained from various therapy in patients.

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