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Olanzapine Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder

2004; Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.; Volume: 65; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4088/jcp.v65n0118

1555-2101

Michael P. Bogenschutz, H. George Nurnberg,

Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications

Article AbstractBackground: Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used in clinical practice in the management of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and a small but growing body of literature supports their efficacy. Here, we report the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of olanzapine as a treatment for BPD. Method: Forty BPD patients (25 female, 15 male) were randomly assigned in equal numbers to olanzapine and placebo. Diagnoses were made using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or current major depression were excluded. Olanzapine dosage was flexible, and the dose range was 2.5 to 20 mg/day, with most patients receiving 5 to 10 mg/day. No concomitant psychotropic medications were allowed. Patients were assessed at baseline and at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in the total score for the 9 BPD criteria on a 1-to-7 Likert scale, the Clinical Global Impressions scale modified for borderline personality disorder (CGI-BPD), using an analysis of covariance model including baseline score as covariate. Data were collected from July 2000 to April 2002. Results: Olanzapine was found to be significantly (p < .05) superior to placebo on the CGI-BPD at endpoint, with separation occurring as early as 4 weeks. Similar results were found for the single-item Clinical Global Impressions scale. Weight gain was significantly (p = .027) greater in the olanzapine group. Conclusions: This study supports the efficacy of olanzapine for symptoms of BPD in a mixed sample of women and men. Further studies with olanzapine and other atypical antipsychotics are needed.