High-dose olanzapine in Huntington's disease

Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2002 Mar;17(2):91-3. doi: 10.1097/00004850-200203000-00009.

Abstract

The few reports available on olanzapine in Huntington's disease (HD) are insufficiently documented and/or insufficiently dosed. We describe a 30-year-old woman with genetically confirmed HD who presented with severe chorea. She was not able to eat or dress without help and did not respond to haloperidol; the motor scale of the Unified HD Rating Scale (UHDRS-I) revealed 65 of a possible 124 points. After admission, we treated the patient with a high dose of olanzapine (30 mg daily). The chorea almost ceased in the next 2 days, she was able to eat and walk without assistance (UHDRS-I of 21 points), and fine motor tasks improved, as well as gait and eye movements. This effect lasted for 5 months. We conclude that high-dose olanzapine appears to be useful in grave choreatic attacks.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Adult
  • Antipsychotic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Eye Movements
  • Female
  • Gait
  • Humans
  • Huntington Disease / drug therapy*
  • Huntington Disease / physiopathology
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Olanzapine
  • Pirenzepine / administration & dosage
  • Pirenzepine / analogs & derivatives
  • Pirenzepine / therapeutic use*
  • Psychomotor Performance

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Pirenzepine
  • Olanzapine