Olanzapine improves social dysfunction in cluster B personality disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Antipsychotic medications are frequently used for personality disorders, but conventional agents have limited efficacy and tolerability.
• Atypical antipsychotics offer a better pharmacological profile, including reduced extrapyramidal symptoms and broader efficacy against impulsivity, aggression, and affective symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine in patients diagnosed with cluster B personality disorder.
• To assess the impact of olanzapine on symptom severity in this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review of ten patients with cluster B personality disorder treated with olanzapine.
• A mirror-image design was employed, comparing 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after olanzapine initiation.
• Symptom severity was assessed using observer-rated items from the GCI-C and an adapted French version of the Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS).

Main Results:

• Olanzapine treatment led to a significant reduction in the mean SDAS scores (items 1-15), decreasing from 28.8+/-8.4 to 13.6+/-5.8 after 8 weeks.
• The dose range for olanzapine was 2.5-20 mg during the 8-week observation period.

Conclusions:

• Olanzapine demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing symptom severity in patients with cluster B personality disorder.
• These findings suggest that olanzapine may be a valuable treatment option for managing symptoms associated with cluster B personality disorders.