Augmentation strategy with olanzapine in resistant obsessive compulsive disorder: an Italian long-term open-label study.
The present study reports the results of an open-label trial on the use of the combination of olanzapine (an atypical antipsychotic) serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in 26 resistant outpatients affected by resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). All patients had been suffering from OCD, according to DSM IV criteria, for at least 2 years and had different comorbid disorders; they had been treated with an SRI at adequate dosages for at least 6 months, or had tried different augmentation strategies with no or poor response. As a result, olanzapine was added and continued for 1 year. After 12 weeks of this regimen, most of the patients (17) had shown a reduction in OC symptoms, as assessed by a decrease in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale total score, which continued throughout subsequent months. Only mild side-effects were recorded and no patient halted the treatment. The addition of olanzapine would appear to be a useful short- and long-term strategy for augmenting SRI effectiveness in resistant OCD patients, especially in those presenting comorbidity with bipolar disorders.
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it
Donatella
D
Marazziti
Chiara
C
Pfanner
Bernardo
B
Dell'Osso
Antonio
A
Ciapparelli
Silvio
S
Presta
Giorgio
G
Corretti
Elena
E
Di Nasso
Francesco
F
Mungai
Liliana
L
Dell'Osso
D000328:Adult; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors