Quetiapine for the treatment of borderline personality disorder; an open-label study

PURPOSE: Only a few studies have commented on the use of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) features, including affective dysregulation and aggression. We aimed at evaluating both efficacy and safety of quetiapine in a sample of consecutive BPD patients. GENERAL METHODS: 29 BPD outpatients entered, and 23 completed, a 12 week, open-label, regime of quetiapine at an average daily dosage of 540 mg (range: 400-800 mg). Efficacy assessment psychometric instruments included: Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HAM-D); Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS); Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF); Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI); and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). FINDINGS: Both completer and intent-to-treat analysis showed that most psychometric scales' scores exhibited a highly significant (HAM-D: p=.003; BPRS Hostility and Suspiciousness subscales; CGI; GAF; AQ: all at p=.000) improvement over time. Six patients dropped out early from treatment due to side effects; quetiapine was associated with two cases of transient thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Present findings would suggest that quetiapine may be effective for the treatment of a number of BPD features, including low mood and aggression. However, monitoring blood counts in patients receiving quetiapine seems to be justified.