Aripiprazole in treatment of borderline patients, part II: an 18-month follow-up.
BACKGROUND
Only one controlled trial is known that employed aripiprazole for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This 8-week trial found significant changes on most scales of the symptom checklist (SCL-90-R), Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS), Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS), and on all scales of the state-trait anger expression inventory (STAXI). OBJECTIVES, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: To assess the long-term effectiveness of aripiprazole with multifaceted borderline symptomatology, this 18-month follow-up observation with biannual testing was carried out with the same patients from the previous trial (treated with 15-mg aripiprazole daily, n = 26, 21 female and 5 male patients; previous placebo group, n = 26, 22 female and 4 male patients).


RESULTS
According to the intent-to-treat principle, significant changes on all scales of the SCL-90-R, HDRS, HARS, and STAXI were observed in the aripiprazole-treated subjects after 18 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Aripiprazole appears to be an effective and relatively safe agent in the long-term treatment of patients with BPD.
Nickel
Marius K
MK
Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, 8990, Bad Aussee, Austria. m.nickel@klinik-badaussee.at
Loew
Thomas H
TH
Pedrosa Gil
Francisco
F
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068180:Aripiprazole; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015363:Quinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D000068180:Aripiprazole