Short-term effects of olanzapine in Huntington disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to describe the short-term (6 months) effects of olanzapine on behavioral and motor clinical manifestations in a group of 11 patients with Huntington disease.


METHODS
An open-pilot study of olanzapine (5 mg) in patients with clinical and genetic diagnosis of Huntington disease was used. The Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale for clinical assessment and the Total Functional Capacity score for the disease-stage evaluation were used. A statistical analysis was performed to compare the effects of olanzapine on the Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale scores at time 0 (baseline) and at time 1 (6 months). Comparisons of motor scores, of single behavioral items, and of TFC scores were performed within the group.


RESULTS
The behavioral assessment score of items regarding depression, anxiety, irritability, and obsessions showed a significant improvement (range of p, 0.0134-0.048). Given the total behavioral scores (sum of all the items investigated), five patients significantly improved their behavioral score after a 6-month treatment (range of p, 0.013-0.047). Choreic movements improved, although not significantly (0.05 < or = p < or = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
Olanzapine is a potentially useful antipsychotic drug, with significant short-term effects on behavioral changes, mainly in patients with severe psychiatric symptoms at the onset. It might be considered as a possible therapeutic choice for treatment of Huntington disease.
Department of Molecular Pathology, Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, Istituto Ricovero Cura Carattere Scientifico Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy. neurogen@neuromed.it
F
F
Squitieri
M
M
Cannella
A
A
Porcellini
L
L
Brusa
M
M
Simonelli
S
S
Ruggieri
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010890:Pirenzepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D010890:Pirenzepine; D000077152:Olanzapine