Inositol in Trichotillomania
Condition: Trichotillomania; Hair Pulling
MeSH terms: Trichotillomania
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of inositol for the
      treatment of compulsive hair pulling, also known as trichotillomania. Inositol is used for
      diabetic nerve pain, panic disorder, high cholesterol, insomnia, cancer, depression,
      schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism,
      promoting hair growth, a skin disorder called psoriasis, and treating side effects of medical
      treatment with some medications, including lithium. The hypothesis to be tested is that
      Inositol will be effective and well tolerated in patients with trichotillomania compared to
      placebo. The proposed study will provide needed data on the treatment of the disabling
      disorder that currently lacks a clearly effective treatment.
    

Detailed description: 
      Pathological hair-pulling, trichotillomania, has been defined as repetitive, intentionally
      performed pulling that causes noticeable hair loss and results in clinically significant
      distress or functional impairment (1). Trichotillomania appears relatively common with an
      estimated prevalence between 1-3% (2). Data on the pharmacological treatment of
      trichotillomania is limited to case reports and conflicting double-blind studies of serotonin
      reuptake inhibitors (3).

      Inositol is used for diabetic nerve pain, panic disorder, high cholesterol, insomnia, cancer,
      depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder
      (ADHD), autism, promoting hair growth, a skin disorder called psoriasis, and treating side
      effects of medical treatment with some medications, including lithium. A small study (n=3)
      found that subject's showed improvement while taking Inositol in both trichotillomania and
      pathological skin picking (4). This suggests that Inositol might be effective in treating a
      large sample of subjects with trichotillomania and it also suggests that it may be effective
      for impulse control disorders in general. Inositol has also been shown to be effective in
      treating obsessive compulsive disorder and showed significantly lower scores on the
      Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (5). Both studies indicate the effectiveness of
      Inositol in treating impulsivity and compulsivity in subjects. There is no medication
      approved by the Food and Drug Administration for trichotillomania. Inositol represents a
      potentially safe and effective treatment.
    

Intervention name(s): Inositol; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Drug; Drug
Intervention description(s): Taken as 2g of powder TID for 2 weeks, then 4g of powder TID for 2 weeks and then 6g of powder TID for the remainder of the study.; Taken as 2g of powder TID for 2 weeks, then 4g of powder TID for 2 weeks and then 6g of powder TID for the remainder of the study.
Other intervention name(s): Inositol Powder; Sugar Pill
Intervention MeSH terms: Inositol
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Inositol; Trichotillomania; Hair Pulling; Impulse Control Disorder