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Olanzapine in Huntington's disease
1Neurological Service and Memory Clinic, Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Keren Kayemet, Bat Yam, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. paleacu@post.tau.ac.il
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|May 25, 2002
Summary
Olanzapine (OL) effectively treats psychiatric symptoms in Huntington
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Neurology
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
- Managing psychiatric and motor symptoms in HD patients is challenging.
- Olanzapine (OL) is an atypical antipsychotic with potential therapeutic applications in neurological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of olanzapine (OL) in patients diagnosed with Huntington's disease (HD).
- To assess the impact of OL on both behavioral and motor symptoms associated with HD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of eleven Huntington's disease patients received olanzapine treatment.
- Assessments included the Clinical Global Impression of Change Scale (CGIC) and the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) for behavioral (UHDRS-b) and motor (UHDRS-m) functions.
- Data collected at 6-month intervals over a treatment period averaging 9.8 months.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement was observed in behavioral symptoms (UHDRS-b, P < 0.0001).
- Motor symptoms (UHDRS-m) showed no significant change.
- Five patients experienced improvement in chorea; two discontinued treatment due to adverse effects or lack of efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Olanzapine demonstrates potential as an alternative treatment for Huntington's disease, particularly for psychiatric manifestations.
- The drug shows moderate effectiveness for motor symptoms, potentially linked to its impact on chorea.
- Recommended for adult-onset HD patients with severe chorea and/or significant psychiatric disturbances.