Paroxetine , sertraline , citalopram , escitalopram , and clomipramine showed the most consistent results , while fluvoxamine , fluoxetine , and imipramine showed limited efficacy .
Preliminary results suggested the potential efficacy of inositol ; D-cycloserine showed mixed results for its ability to improve the outcome of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy .
No studies have been specifically oriented toward evaluating the effect of drugs on AG ; in the available studies , the improvement of AG might have been the consequence of the reduction of panic attacks .
BACKGROUND Although there are controversial issues ( the " American view " and the " European view " ) regarding the construct and definition of agoraphobia ( AG ) , this syndrome is well recognized and it is a burden in the lives of millions of people worldwide .
To better clarify the role of drug therapy in AG , the authors summarized and discussed recent evidence on pharmacological treatments , based on clinical trials available from 2000 , with the aim of highlighting pharmacotherapies that may improve this complex syndrome .
Treatment of Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia: Randomized Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Four Psychosocial Treatments Combined with Imipramine or Placebo
Few r and omized controlled trials have included panic disorder patients with moderate to severe agoraphobia . Therefore , this population was studied using pharmacotherapy as well as psychotherapy . At the time of the study , imipramine was widely used as a pharmacological treatment . Also , current practice guidelines for patients with panic disorder find selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants roughly comparable in terms of efficacy . Therefore , the main objective of this study is to compare four psychosocial treatments — cognitive and grade d in vivo exposure treatments , grade d in vivo exposure , cognitive treatment , and supportive therapy — to evaluate the benefits of combining cognitive therapy with exposure in vivo . These treatments were combined with imipramine or placebo for a total of eight experimental conditions . Participants presented moderate to severe agoraphobia . The method involved a r and omized , double‐blind , placebo‐controlled trial with 137 participants who completed a 14‐session protocol involving the treatments just mentioned . Measures were taken at baseline and posttreatment and at 3‐ , 6‐ , and 12‐month follow‐up . All treatment conditions were statistically and clinical ly effective in reducing self‐reported panic – agoraphobia symptoms over the 1‐year follow‐up . No statistical differences were observed between imipramine and placebo conditions . This study found that all treatment modalities helped reduce panic and agoraphobic symptomatology over a 1‐year follow‐up period . These surprising results support the need to document the relations among the various components of an intervention . This would make it possible to assess the relative efficacy of the treatment components rather than of the intervention as a whole
Paroxetine , sertraline , citalopram , escitalopram , and clomipramine showed the most consistent results , while fluvoxamine , fluoxetine , and imipramine showed limited efficacy .
Preliminary results suggested the potential efficacy of inositol ; D-cycloserine showed mixed results for its ability to improve the outcome of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy .
No studies have been specifically oriented toward evaluating the effect of drugs on AG ; in the available studies , the improvement of AG might have been the consequence of the reduction of panic attacks .
BACKGROUND Although there are controversial issues ( the " American view " and the " European view " ) regarding the construct and definition of agoraphobia ( AG ) , this syndrome is well recognized and it is a burden in the lives of millions of people worldwide .
To better clarify the role of drug therapy in AG , the authors summarized and discussed recent evidence on pharmacological treatments , based on clinical trials available from 2000 , with the aim of highlighting pharmacotherapies that may improve this complex syndrome .