Olanzapine and Negative Symptoms

Sir: I am writing after reading the letter by Ketter et al. regarding the efficacy of olanzapine in bipolar disorder patients. A 54-year-old patient of mine diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and currently enrolled in a University of California-San Diego research study for her condition had a dramatic response to olanzapine, 5 mg/day. The patient had previously been maintained on risperidone, 2 mg/day, and had undergone unsuccessful trials of numerous antidepressants in an attempt to alleviate her negative symptoms.