title: An open-label trial of venlafaxine in body dysmorphic disorder.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. andrea.allen@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Sallie Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simeon
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friedberg
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Priday
authors.forename: Bryann R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hollander
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D003511:Cyclohexanols; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride