Lamotrigine Ineffective in Borderline Personality Disorder
Lamotrigine is neither clinically effective nor cost-effective for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adults, according to a study published online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
The findings stem from a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial that enrolled 276 adults with BPD. Over the course of 12 months, participants received placebo or up to 400 mg/day of lamotrigine — an antiepileptic drug approved to treat bipolar disorder — while continuing with standard care.
Among the 195 participants who completed the trial, researchers found no significant difference on Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (ZAN-BPD) scores between treatment groups. The average score for the lamotrigine group was 11.3, compared with 11.5 for the placebo group. Researchers also found no difference in secondary outcomes, which included depressive symptoms, deliberate self-harm, social functioning, health-related quality of life, side effects, and adverse events.
Asymmetrical Brain Regions Linked With Borderline Personality Disorder
Costs of direct care were also similar between the groups, researchers reported.
According to a Psychiatric News Alert report, several small, short-term studies have previously suggested lamotrigine may help reduce symptoms of BPD, a condition for which there are no approved pharmacologic treatments. This long-term study, however, suggests otherwise.
“Clinicians may feel under considerable pressure to prescribe medication for people with borderline personality disorder, especially at times of crisis,” said researcher Mike Crawford, MD, Imperial College London, in the Psychiatric News Alert article. “In the absence of clear evidence suggesting benefits associated with any type of medication, nonpharmacological approaches should be offered.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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