title: Low-dose olanzapine monotherapy in girls with anorexia nervosa, restricting subtype: focus on hyperactivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine in girls with anorexia nervosa, restricting subtype (ANr).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients (mean age 13.7 +/- 2.3 years, age range 9.6-16.3 years) enrolled in a multimodal treatment for ANr were evaluated with standardized measures at baseline and after 1 and 6 months after starting low-dose olanzapine monotherapy (mean dose 4.13 mg/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant improvement was evident on weight (body mass index, BMI), global functioning (Children's Global Assessment Scale, CGAS), eating attitudes (Eating Attitudes Test-26, EAT-26), anxious-depressive symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) and hyperactivity (Structured Inventory for Anorexic and Bulimic Syndromes, SIAB). At the end of the 6-month follow up, 7 patients were responders according to an improvement of at least 50% in the EAT-26 results. The only measure that improved significantly in responders, but not in nonresponders, was hyperactivity (SIAB). Clinical improvement, in terms of both body mass index (BMI) recovery and global functioning, paralleled the improvement of hyperactivity, was evident at the end of the first month of treatment, and further increased in the following 5 months, with minimal side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose olanzapine monotherapy may be useful as adjunctive treatment of youths with ANr. It is suggested that efficacy may be mediated by a decrease of hyperactivity.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone (Pisa), Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leggero
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brunori
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calderoni
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carissimo
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maestro
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muratori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077152:Olanzapine
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000077152:Olanzapine