Placebo-controlled study of pimozide augmentation of fluoxetine in body dysmorphic disorder.

Author(s): Phillips KA

Affiliation(s): Brown Medical School and Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI 02906, USA. Katharine_Phillips@brown.edu

Publication date & source: 2005-02, Am J Psychiatry., 162(2):377-9.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: Although body dysmorphic disorder often responds to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), most patients do not respond or respond only partially. However, placebo-controlled studies of augmentation of SRIs have not been done. Furthermore, although 40%-50% of patients are delusional, studies of antipsychotic medications have not been done. METHOD: Twenty-eight patients with body dysmorphic disorder or its delusional variant participated in an 8-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group study of pimozide augmentation of fluoxetine. RESULTS: Pimozide was not more effective than placebo: two (18.2%) of 11 subjects responded to pimozide and three (17.6%) of 17 subjects responded to placebo. There was no significant effect of baseline delusionality on endpoint severity of body dysmorphic disorder. Delusionality did not decrease significantly more with pimozide than placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Pimozide augmentation of fluoxetine treatment for body dysmorphic disorder was not more effective than placebo, even in more delusional patients. Further studies of augmentation for SRIs are needed.