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Quetiapine for Bipolar Depressive Episode in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patients Maintained on Selective Serotonin
Clinical Neuropharmacology
|April 3, 2021
Summary
Quetiapine effectively treated bipolar depression (BP-D) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) already on SSRIs. The medication also improved OCD symptoms in most responders and was well-tolerated.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients often develop bipolar depression (BP-D) symptoms.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are standard OCD treatments but may not fully address comorbid BP-D.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of quetiapine in treating acute bipolar depression (BP-D) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who are already on SSRI treatment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 11 OCD patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for bipolar II disorder, depressive episode.
- Quetiapine was added to existing SSRI treatment for BP-D.
- Treatment response defined by "much improved" or "very much improved" on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale.
Main Results:
- Quetiapine (150-400 mg daily) resulted in an 73% response rate for BP-D.
- Six of eight responders also experienced improvement in OCD symptoms.
- Quetiapine was well-tolerated, with drowsiness and constipation as most common side effects.
Conclusions:
- Adding quetiapine to SSRI treatment appears beneficial for acute BP-D in OCD patients.
- Further controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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