Olanzapine treatment of female borderline personality disorder patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND

The intent of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of olanzapine versus placebo in the treatment of women meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD).

METHOD: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of olanzapine in 28 female subjects meeting Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines and DSM-IV criteria for BPD. The subjects were randomly assigned to olanzapine or placebo in a 2:1 manner. Treatment duration was 6 months. Primary outcome measures were self-reported changes on anxiety, depression, paranoia, anger/hostility, and interpersonal sensitivity scales of the Symptom Checklist-90.

RESULTS

Nineteen subjects were randomly assigned to olanzapine; 9. to placebo. When random effects regression modeling of panel data was used, controlling for baseline level of severity, olanzapine was associated with a significantly (p < .05) greater rate of improvement over time than placebo in all of the symptom areas studied except depression. Weight gain was modest in the olanzapine-treated group but was significantly higher than in those treated with placebo (p < .02). In addition, no serious movement disorders were noted.

CONCLUSION

Olanzapine appears to be a safe and effective agent in the treatment of women with criteria-defined BPD, significantly affecting all 4 core areas of borderline psychopathology (i.e., affect, cognition, impulsivity, and interpersonal relationships).