Memantine in Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors

The primary efficacy measure will be the change in hair pulling or skin picking frequency and urges to pull hair or pick skin for the past week as indicated by change in total score. The entire study lasts 10 weeks. Every two weeks subjects will take the NIMH Symptom Severity Scale. The change in scores from baseline to after 8 weeks will be assessed. The scale itself assesses severity of trichotillomania or skin picking symptom, with higher scores indicating greater trichotillomania or skin picking severity. Score range: 0-20.

The entire study for the subject will last 8 weeks. Every two weeks the subject will complete the CGI-I. The scale is a clinician-rated measure of overall disorder severity. Scores range from 1 (not at all improved) to 7 (very much improved). In each group, the number of people in each group who had a CGI-I score of 6 or 7 at Week 8 (indicating much or very much improved) will be presented.

Brief, self-report scale for assessing repetitive hairpulling (or skin picking). Because of a lack of an identical scale for skin-picking behavior, this scale was modified for skin picking for individuals with SPD to keep the outcome measure consistent across disorders. Seven individual items, rated for severity from 0 to 4, assess urges to pull (pick), actual pulling (picking), perceived control, and associated distress (range 0-28). The change in scores from baseline to after 8 weeks is reported. Negative values indicate a decrease in score from baseline to 8 weeks, while positive values indicate an increase in score from baseline to 8 weeks.

The entire study lasts 8 weeks. Every two weeks subjects will take the Skin Picking Symptom Assessment Scale (SP-SAS). The scale itself assesses severity of skin-picking symptoms. The SP-SAS score ranges from 0 to 48, with 0 being no symptoms and 48 being the most severe. The average change in score from baseline to Week 8 will be reported for both groups. A positive value indicates an increase in score from baseline to week 8, whereas a negative value indicates a decrease in score from baseline to week 8.

Subjects will complete the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) at all visits. The SDS is a self-report measure of functional impairment. Scores range from 0-30, with higher scores indicating greater functional impairment. The average change in score from baseline to Week 8 will be reported. Negative values indicate a decrease in score from baseline to Week 8, while positive values indicate an increase in score.

A clinician-administered assessment of depression that will be assessed at all study visits. Score range 0-58. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of depression, while a score of 0 would indicate no depressive symptoms. The change in score from baseline to Week 8 is reported. Positive values indicate an increase in score from baseline to Week 8, whereas negative values indicate a decrease in score from baseline to Week 8.

A clinician-administered assessment of anxiety that will be assessed at all study visits. Score range: 0-56. Higher scores indicate more anxiety symptoms, with 0 being no symptoms of anxiety. Changes in scores from baseline to week 8 visit will be assessed. Positive values indicate an increase in score from baseline to week 8, whereas negative values indicate a decrease in score from baseline to week 8.

The entire study for an individual subject will last 8 weeks. This inventory will be completed at the first and last visit of the study, with only these two points being assessed. Results are reported as the change in Week 8-Week 0 scores. The scale itself assess the subjects overall perceived quality of life, with higher scores indicating better outcomes. Possible total scores range from 1-77.