Aripiprazole augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: a 12-week open-label preliminary study.

Full Abstract

One of the most studied and well-documented strategies for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the addition of antipsychotic drugs to the ongoing serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) treatment. To date, there has been a paucity of data regarding the use of aripiprazole in OCD patients who failed to respond to SRIs. The aim of the present pilot study was to investigate the efficacy of flexible doses of aripiprazole as augmenting agent in the treatment of resistant OCD patients. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria of treatment-resistant OCD entered a 12-week, open-label, flexible-dose trial of aripiprazole addition to SRIs. Aripiprazole was started at 5 mg/day and increased up to a maximum of 20 mg/day. Twelve patients fulfilled entry criteria; nine patients took at least one dose of study medication and eight of them completed the study. The mean daily dosage of aripiprazole in completers was 11.2+/-5.2 mg/day. Patients showed a significant improvement over the 12-week study period (paired t-test for mean Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale total score at week 12 as compared with baseline - all patients: t = 4.860, d.f. = 8, P = 0.001). The most common adverse event reported was inner unrest reported by four (44.4%) patients. Our study supports the notion that adding aripiprazole to SRIs could be a valid strategy for treatment-resistant OCD patients, and points towards the need of randomized, double-blind studies.

Author information

Author/s: Pessina, Enrico (E); Albert, Umberto (U); Bogetto, Filippo (F); Maina, Giuseppe (G);

Affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Unit, University of Turin, Italy.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article

Journal: International clinical psychopharmacology (Int Clin Psychopharmacol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 24 (issue 5) : pp 265-9

Dates: Created 2009/08/11; Completed 2009/10/09;

PMID: 19629012, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/9/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.