title: A preliminary trial of fluoxetine in refractory borderline patients.
abstract: Borderline personality disorder is characterized by many of the symptoms associated with serotonin dysregulation, including affective lability, suicidal behaviors, and impulsive aggression. These provide an ideal clinical model for studying the treatment of these serious symptom presentations. The recent development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine makes it possible to study the role of serotonin in the etiology of affective and behavioral dyscontrol in borderline personality disorder. In this preliminary medication trial, 5 borderline personality disorder patients with severe symptoms resistant to phenelzine and neuroleptics were treated openly with fluoxetine 20 to 40 mg for 8 weeks, with weekly ratings of symptoms. The findings from this work suggested efficacy for fluoxetine in treating the depressive and impulsive symptoms of refractory patients with borderline personality disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Soloff
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Perel
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine