Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Intramuscular olanzapine in patients with borderline personality disorder: an observational study in an emergency
Cristian Damsa1, Eric Adam, François De Gregorio
1Service d'urgences psychiatriques, Centre Hospitalier Régional La Citadelle, 1 Boulevard du Douzième de Ligne, 4000 Liège, Belgium. c.damsa@bluewin.ch
Objective:
Despite the frequency of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in patients with acute agitation in emergency departments (EDs), there are few data about the use of intramuscular (IM) psychotropics in those patients. This is the first open-label study with olanzapine in this setting.
Method:
Measures were collected prospectively for patients with acute agitation in ED. Consent was obtained subsequently and diagnosis ascertained using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. A group of 25 patients with severe agitation and BPD received olanzapine 10 mg IM. Efficacy and safety data are available at baseline, 2 h postinjection and at discharge.
Results:
Significant reductions of agitation associated with good tolerance were observed 2 h after the first IM olanzapine. Sixteen percent of patients required a second IM olanzapine.
Conclusions:
Randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of IM olanzapine in patients with acute agitation and BPD.
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Borderline Personality Disorder
Genetic and Environmental Contributions
Borderline Personality...
Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview
Antipsychotic Drugs: Typical and Atypical Agents
