This study investigates the hypothesis that instability in mood in patients with borderline personality disorder will respond the mood stabilizing medication lamotrigine.
Affective instability is one of the most prominent symptoms in borderline personality disorder. Currently there are no prospective studies of treatment of this symptom with mood stabilizing medications. This study examines the effectiveness of lamotrigine compared to placebo in reducing emotional instability of several types in borderline patients. The types of emotional instability studied involve anger, anxiety, depression, and elation. Subjects entering this 12 week study will be blind to whether they are receiving active medication or placebo. They will be asked to report levels of instability in their mood on a weekly basis. They will also be asked weekly to rate the intensity of other symptoms of borderline personality disorder symptoms, such as unstable relationships, self-harm, and impulsive behaviors.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
28
Subject in active active drug group will receive lamotrigine tablets 12.5 per day for the first week of the study. Dose of lamotrigine can be increased to 25mg per day during the second week of the study and may be increased each week thereafter for the next 9 weeks by 25mg per day. Subjects in active treatment group will receive lamotrigine for total of 12 weeks
Subjects will receive 12.5mg of inert placebo per day during the first week of the study. Inert placebo can be increased to 25mg per day during the second week of the study and by 25mg per day each week for the next 9 weeks. Subjects can receive a total of 12 weeks of placebo.
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts, United States
Changes in score of Affective Lability Scale
Time frame: Baseline and then weekly for 12 weeks
Changes in the score of the Affective Lability Item of the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder
Time frame: Baseline and then weekly for 12 weeks
Scores of individual items on the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder
Time frame: Baseline and then weekly for 12 weeks
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