olanzapine and Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterised by frequent prolongations, repetitions or blocks of spoken sounds and/or syllables. Stuttering is very common and is classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as an Axis I disorder. In spite of this, stuttering treatment is sporadically addressed by a practicing physician, especially in the US. Much has recently been learned of the neurophysiological basis of this disorder, which has provided insight into novel treatment strategies, thus helping to guide the practising clinician. Stuttering is likely to be associated, at least in part, to dopamine hyperactivity in the brain. Novel dopamine antagonists such as risperidone and olanzapine, have recently been shown to improve the symptoms of stuttering providing a strong foundation for physicians to more effectively treat this disorder.

Topics: Benzodiazepines; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Dopamine Antagonists; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Olanzapine; Risperidone; Stuttering; Temporal Lobe

A patient admitted to a psychiatric clinic because of a psychosis, developed a stutter. In this case report we review the literature in order to explain the differential diagnosis of stuttering acquired later in life. In the patient under study we considered the late development of stuttering to be either a side-effect of olanzapine or a symptom of disorganisation. Although the precise cause is still unclear, the patient's stutter decreased considerably after olanzapine was replaced by haloperidol.

Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Humans; Male; Olanzapine; Schizophrenia; Stuttering; Young Adult

Stuttering is a vocal phenomenon, which manifests itself as disturbances in speech fluency. While stuttering is most commonly treated with speech therapy and psychotherapy, a number of antipsychotic agents have been investigated as possible treatments. We present the case of a 37-year-old man who developed a post-concussive syndrome with psychosis and associated stuttering after his second exposure to a blast from an improvised explosive device (IED). After treatment with olanzapine, both his psychosis and his stuttering showed significant improvement. We also discuss stuttering and review previous studies that have investigated antipsychotic use in stuttering.

Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Blast Injuries; Brain Concussion; Humans; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Male; Olanzapine; Psychotic Disorders; Stuttering; Warfare

To critically assess the quality, methodology, and conclusions in A. K. Bothe, J. H. Davidow, R. E. Bramlett, D. M. Franic, and R. J. Ingham's (2006) systematic review of pharmacological approaches to stuttering.. A. D. Oxman and G. H. Guyatt's (1988) guidelines for reading literature reviews and A. D. Oxman and G. H. Guyatt's (1991) criteria for assessing the scientific quality of systematic reviews were adopted to accomplish the purpose.. Bothe et al.'s review was rated on a 7-point scale from extensive flaws on the high end to minimal flaws on the low end of the scale. The ratings varied from poor to good.. We judged Bothe et al.'s review of the pharmacological literature as it pertains to stuttering as flawed in its methodology and conclusions. However, we agree that the existing evidence for the use of pharmacological agents with persons who stutter is insufficient to recommend them in practice. Directions for improving the quality of clinical trials are suggested. In addition, we advocate for the multimethod measurement in stuttering research, including comparison, subjective evaluation, and social impact measures.

Topics: Benzodiazepines; Drug Therapy; Humans; Olanzapine; Professional Competence; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Stuttering

Drug-induced stuttering has been described in association with several drugs, in particular antidepressants and low-potency neuroleptics. Here we describe a case series of stuttering induced by the atypical neuroleptics olanzapine and clozapine. Patients receiving neuroleptic treatment were carefully screened for stuttering as a possible side effect. We have studied all patients in the outpatient department (800 per year) as well as most inpatients (1300 per year) within 3 years. Seven cases of drug-induced stuttering were observed. Six patients suffered from stuttering in association with olanzapine treatment, and one received clozapine. Stuttering arose on average 2-21 days after initiation of treatment and ceased 2-5 days after discontinuation. Most patients suffered from additional diseases, such as brain pathology due to cortical atrophy or celiac disease, or received concomitant medication (i.e. intrathecal morphine pump). Our case series suggests that the atypical neuroleptic olanzapine can induce stuttering in the absence of a history of stuttering without accompanying akathisia or general decline of function. It appears that preexisting brain pathology or concomitant anti-depressant medication might predispose some patients to this side effect.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Clozapine; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Olanzapine; Retrospective Studies; Schizophrenia; Stuttering

Vast arrays of medications have been used, with limited success, to manage stuttering. Haloperidol and risperidone are the only two medications that have shown efficacy via double-blind studies in controlling stuttering symptoms. We present the first case reports of olanzapine in the management of stuttering. Three case histories are presented: a 10-year-old boy, a 16-year-old male adolescent with developmental stuttering, and a 9-year-old boy with medication-induced stuttering whose symptoms are successfully controlled with olanzapine. These case studies suggest that olanzapine may be a pharmacologic option in the management of stuttering.

Topics: Adolescent; Benzodiazepines; Child; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Humans; Male; Olanzapine; Pirenzepine; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Stuttering