Pregabalin augmentation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Abstract

Glutamate dysfunction has been shown to be associated with pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our objective is to survey the effects of pregabalin (a glutamate-modulating agent) as an augmenting treatment for resistant OCD. In this 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 56 patients with resistant OCD were randomly allocated to receive either pregabalin or placebo plus their current medication (sertraline). Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was used to evaluate the outcomes. Adverse effects were also registered. Of the 56 patients with resistant OCD who were randomly allocated in 2 groups of pregabalin (n=28) and placebo group (n=28), 42 patients (22 in pregabalin group and 20 in placebo group) completed the trial. Throughout the trial, the mean score decreased from 26.13± 7.03 to 8.81±3.47 in the pregabalin group (p<0) and from 26.85±4.34 to 17.63±4.22 in the placebo group (p<0). At the end of trial, 16 (57.14%) patients in the pregabalin group and 2 (7.14%) patients in the placebo group showed more than 35% decline in YBOCS (p<.01). The pregabalin group showed good tolerability and safety. Our study revealed that pregabalin, as an augmenting medication, is more effective than placebo in the treatment of patients with resistant OCD.