Quetiapine is a safe and effective treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder, especially those with prominent symptoms of impulsiveness and aggression, according to the findings of a pilot study conducted by researchers in Japan.

"Second-generation antipsychotics with a favorable tolerability profile have offered new treatment options for patients with borderline personality disorder," Dr. Silvio Bellino and colleagues from the University of Turin, Italy, note in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. However, there are little data available on the use of quetiapine (Seroquel) for this disorder.

Dr. Bellino's group therefore assessed the efficacy and tolerability of quetiapine in 14 consecutive outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. The patients were treated for 12 weeks with open-label quetiapine at 200 to 400 mg/day. They were assessed at baseline, week 4 and week 12.

The mean daily dose of quetiapine was 309.09 mg/day. Three patients dropped out of the trial because of noncompliance or excessive somnolence.

Statistically significant improvements were observed on the Clinical Global Impressions severity item and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.

Significant improvements were also seen in mean scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety; Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale; and the total Borderline Personality Disorder Severity Index and items "impulsivity" and "outbursts of anger."

The most common adverse effects included somnolence, dry mouth, and dizziness. Adverse effects were mild to moderate.

The next step, the researchers say, will be to conduct a double-blind controlled trial to verify the safety and efficacy of quetiapine for borderline disorder.

Source: Reuters