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Olanzapine for Huntington's disease: an open label study
Raphael M Bonelli1, Franz A Mahnert, Gerald Niederwieser
1Department of Neurology & Psychiatry, Hospital BHB Eggenberg, Graz, Austria. rm.bonelli@nextra.at
Clinical Neuropharmacology
|November 1, 2002
Summary
Olanzapine shows promise for managing motor symptoms in Huntington
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Genetics
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction.
- Motor symptoms, particularly chorea, significantly impact quality of life in HD patients.
- Current therapeutic options for motor symptoms in HD are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine in treating motor symptoms of Huntington's disease.
- To assess the safety and tolerability of olanzapine in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, open-label study involving nine genetically confirmed HD patients.
- Olanzapine administered in escalating doses until clinical effect or side effects.
- Motor function assessed using the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) motor subscale at baseline and after 14 days.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements observed in most UHDRS motor subscores, including fine motor tasks.
- Some patients required high doses of olanzapine (up to 30 mg/day).
- No spontaneous or observed adverse effects were reported by patients or investigators.
Conclusions:
- High-dose olanzapine appears to be a potentially effective symptomatic treatment for chorea in Huntington's disease.
- Further investigation via a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is warranted to confirm these findings.