Aripiprazole as a Synergist for Refractory Obsessive-compulsive Disorder:A Clinical Study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effects and tolerance of aripiprazole as a synergist in the treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD). METHODS: A total of 59 ROCD cases were enrolled: 31 were assigned to receive aripiprazole in combination with preceding SSRI antidepressants, and 28 to receive preceding SSRI antidepressants alone as a control. The initial dose of Aripiprazole at first week was 5 mg/d, increased to 10 mg/d at second week, and 15mg/d at the third week. Then the dosage was adjusted according to individual efficacy and tolerance but with a maximal dose of no more than 20 mg/d. The course of treatment was 8 weeks. Assessments were scheduled before treatment, at the end of 4th and 8th weeks using Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA), Global Assessment Scale (GAS) and Treatment Emergent Symptoms Scale (TESS), and a comparative analysis was performed. RESULTS: At the end of the 8th weeks of the study, the total scores of the YBOCS (12.0±5.4), HAMA (13.7±3.2) and GAS (48.2±11.7) had significant difference compared with pretreatment (as follows: 29.8±5.4, 23.50±3.61, 26.95±10.61) (P0.01). The score-reducing rate of the YBOCS showed that the recovery rate was 16%, the effective rate was 48% and the ineffective rate was 36%. The side effects were mild and tolerable, and all the scores were significantly different from those in control group. CONCLUSION: Small dose of aripiprazole can serve as an effective synergist of SSRI antidepressants in the treatment of patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder.