An open-label trial of venlafaxine in body dysmorphic disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a preoccupation with imagined ugliness, is a disabling condition that seems to respond preferentially to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This open-label trial examines venlafaxine's efficacy in BDD and is the first known study of this serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor in BDD.


METHODS
A total of 17 BDD patients 16-65 years of age entered and 11 completed a 12-16 week open-label trial of venlafaxine. Participants were treated with venlafaxine until a therapeutic dose (minimum of 150 mg/day) was reached and then maintained at that dose for 8 weeks. Key outcome measures were the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale.


RESULTS
Venlafaxine was found to be effective in lessening the specific symptoms and global severity of BDD. Paired t-tests were used to compare baseline and final ratings on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder total, obsessions, and compulsions scores; by this measure venlafaxine significantly reduced BDD symptoms overall (P=.012), as well as obsessions (P=.034) and compulsions specifically (P=.021). A single sample t-test, comparing final Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale ratings to "no change" (score: 4) found significant improvement following treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Venlafaxine may be an effective treatment for BDD, including both obsessive and compulsive symptoms. Controlled research on venlafaxine in BDD is recommended.
Allen
Andrea
A
Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. andrea.allen@mssm.edu
Hadley
Sallie Jo
SJ
Kaplan
Alicia
A
Simeon
Daphne
D
Friedberg
Jennifer
J
Priday
Lauren
L
Baker
Bryann R
BR
Greenberg
Jennifer L
JL
Hollander
Eric
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
D003511:Cyclohexanols; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride