Two primary outcomes of efficacy and acceptability showed a possible advantage of benzodiazepines over placebo .
Low- quality evidence shows a possible superiority of benzodiazepine over placebo in the short-term treatment of panic disorders .
Due to these limitations , our results regarding the efficacy of benzodiazepines versus placebo provide only limited guidance for clinical practice .
BACKGROUND Panic disorder is characterised by recurrent unexpected panic attacks consisting of a wave of intense fear that reaches a peak within a few minutes .
Panic disorder is a common disorder , with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 1 % to 5 % in the general population and a 7 % to 10 % prevalence in primary care setting s. Its aetiology is not fully understood and is probably heterogeneous .
Panic disorder is treated with psychological and pharmacological interventions , often used in combination .
Although benzodiazepines are frequently used in the treatment of panic disorder , guidelines recommend antidepressants , mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) , as first-line treatment for panic disorder , particularly due to their lower incidence of dependence and withdrawal reaction when compared to benzodiazepines .
Despite these recommendations , benzodiazepines are widely used in the treatment of panic disorder , probably because of their rapid onset of action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and acceptability of benzodiazepines versus placebo in the treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in adults .
A comparative study of suriclone, lorazepam and placebo in anxiety disorder.
In a four-week double-blind r and omized trial preceded by a one-week single-blind placebo treatment , the efficacy and the side-effects of suriclone ( 1.50 - 2.25 mg/d ) ( n = 24 ) , lorazepam ( 5.0 - 7.5 mg/d ) ( n = 19 ) and placebo ( n = 21 ) were compared in 64 out patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder ( n = 56 ) or panic disorder ( n = 8) .  Efficacy was measured weekly by means of a global clinical impression scale , the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale , the Zung Anxiety Self- Assessment Scale and a target symptom scale . Side-effects were evaluated weekly by an adverse events scale , which recorded the spontaneous complaints and the complaints elicited by an extensive somatic inventory question naire . The three groups showed a statistically significant and clinical ly relevant improvement early on in the treatment : this improvement was maintained during the remaining period . Early on in the treatment there was some indication of a better response , but also of more side-effects , in the suriclone and the lorazepam groups . After four weeks of treatment no difference was found between the three groups either in efficacy or in side-effects . The effect size achieved in the placebo group was not inferior to that of benzodiazepines in general
Two primary outcomes of efficacy and acceptability showed a possible advantage of benzodiazepines over placebo .
Low- quality evidence shows a possible superiority of benzodiazepine over placebo in the short-term treatment of panic disorders .
Due to these limitations , our results regarding the efficacy of benzodiazepines versus placebo provide only limited guidance for clinical practice .
BACKGROUND Panic disorder is characterised by recurrent unexpected panic attacks consisting of a wave of intense fear that reaches a peak within a few minutes .
Panic disorder is a common disorder , with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 1 % to 5 % in the general population and a 7 % to 10 % prevalence in primary care setting s. Its aetiology is not fully understood and is probably heterogeneous .
Panic disorder is treated with psychological and pharmacological interventions , often used in combination .
Although benzodiazepines are frequently used in the treatment of panic disorder , guidelines recommend antidepressants , mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) , as first-line treatment for panic disorder , particularly due to their lower incidence of dependence and withdrawal reaction when compared to benzodiazepines .
Despite these recommendations , benzodiazepines are widely used in the treatment of panic disorder , probably because of their rapid onset of action .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and acceptability of benzodiazepines versus placebo in the treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in adults .