Background: The main objective was to assess the efficacy of a weight management program designed for outpatients taking olanzapine for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and to compare these patients with a randomized control group. The effects of the weight management program were also assessed with regard to safety and quality of life. Method: Forty-eight patients were enrolled in a 12-week, randomized, multicenter weight management study. Thirty-three patients were randomly allocated to an intervention group in which they received olanzapine within a weight management program. Fifteen patients were allocated to a control group in which they were given olanzapine treatment as usual outpatients. Weight, body mass index (BMI), and measurements of safety and quality of life were evaluated. The study was conducted from January 7, 2003, to September 16, 2003. Results: Thirty-six patients (75%) completed this study. We found significant differences in weight (-3.94 ± 3.63 kg vs.-1.48 ± 1.88 kg, p = .006) and BMI (-1.50 ± 1.34 vs.-0.59 ± 0.73, p = .007) change from baseline to endpoint between the intervention and control groups, respectively. Significant differences in weight reduction were initially observed at week 8 (p = .040). No significant differences were found with regard to the safety outcomes. When the ratio of low-density lipoproteins to high-density lipoproteins was calculated, change from baseline was greater in the intervention group than the control group (-0.19 vs.-0.04), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = .556). After the completion of the weight management program, there was a trend toward statistical difference in the physical health score changes between the weight management and control groups (1.12 in the intervention group vs.-0.93 in the control group, p = .067). Conclusion: The weight management program was effective in terms of weight reduction in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder taking olanzapine and was also found to be safe in terms of psychiatric symptoms, vital signs, and laboratory data. In addition, such a weight management program might improve quality of life in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder with respect to their physical well-being.

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Bilateral thermal lesioning of the anterior limb of the internal capsule using MRgFUS may improve obsessive-compulsive, depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with treatment-refractory OCD, without serious adverse effects.

Objective: To investigate the long-term efficacy and adverse cognitive effects of stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomy as a treatment for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients suffering from refractory OCD underwent stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomies and were followed for 24 months. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Clinical Global Impression and other neuropsychological tests were used to assess the efficacy and cognitive changes of cingulotomy. The tests were taken before and 12 and 24 months after surgery. Results: The mean improvement rate of the Y-BOCS score achieved from the baseline was 48%. Eight patients out of 17 met the responder criteria. During the 24-month follow-up, there were no significant adverse effects observed after surgery. Conclusions: Bilateral anterior cingulotomy was effective for the treatment of refractory OCD, and no other significant adverse cognitive effects on long-term follow-up were found.