Drug treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): long-term trial with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
A 2-year, open-label followup was performed on 130 obsessive-compulsive patients who were responders to a previous 6-month treatment with clomipramine (150 mg/day), fluoxetine (40 mg/day), or fluvoxamine (300 mg/day). Continuation treatment with the same daily dose was compared to continuation with half doses or to discontinuation of pharmacotherapy. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale were used every 3 months, or whenever a worsening of symptoms was experienced. Maintenance treatments were found significantly superior to discontinuation in preventing relapses, and no differences in efficacy were found between full and half doses. A comparison of the three subgroups of patients who were withdrawn from drug therapy failed to demonstrate any statistical difference.
Ravizza
L
L
Department of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Italy.
Barzega
G
G
Bellino
S
S
Bogetto
F
F
Maina
G
G
D000328:Adult; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D002997:Clomipramine; D005473:Fluoxetine; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors