These drugs were better tolerated than tricyclics and benzodiazepines as they had a low risk of dependence and overdosing complications .
The serotonergic , noradrenergic and GABAergic pathways play a major role in the fear network and in the physiopathology of PD .
INTRODUCTION Panic disorder ( PD ) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder characterized by unexpected and recurrent panic attacks .
PD patients present significant psychosocial impairment and a high risk of psychiatric comorbidities and suicide .
PD should be treated effectively as soon as the symptoms emerge because the longer these patients remain without treatment , the worse the prognosis will be .
SSRIs and SNRIs are the first-line compounds in the treatment of PD .
Escitalopram in the treatment of panic disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
BACKGROUND Escitalopram , the therapeutically active isomer of the racemic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant citalopram , has shown significant anxiolytic effects in placebo-controlled clinical trials of social anxiety disorder , generalized anxiety disorder , and anxiety symptoms associated with major depression . This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of escitalopram in out patients diagnosed with panic disorder . METHOD Male and female out patients between 18 and 80 years of age meeting DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder , with or without agoraphobia , were r and omly assigned to 10 weeks of double-blind treatment with escitalopram , citalopram , or placebo in a study conducted from September 1999 to July 2001 . The primary measure of efficacy was panic attack frequency at week 10 relative to baseline , as assessed by the Modified Sheehan Panic and Anticipatory Anxiety Scale . RESULTS A total of 366 subjects ( 128 escitalopram patients , 119 citalopram patients , and 119 placebo patients ) received at least 1 dose of double-blind treatment . The frequency of panic attacks was statistically significantly improved ( p = .04 ) , and the increase in percentage of patients with zero panic attacks reached borderline significance ( p = .051 ) , in the escitalopram-treated group relative to the placebo-treated group . Both escitalopram and citalopram statistically significantly reduced panic disorder symptoms and severity versus placebo at endpoint ( p < /=.05 ) , as measured by the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale total score , the Clinical Global Impressions scale , the Patient Global Evaluation , and the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Question naire . Treatment with escitalopram was safe and well tolerated , with a similar incidence of the most common adverse events for the escitalopram and placebo groups . The rate of discontinuation for adverse events was 6.3 % for escitalopram , 8.4 % for citalopram , and 7.6 % for placebo . CONCLUSION Escitalopram is efficacious , safe , and well tolerated in the treatment of panic disorder
These drugs were better tolerated than tricyclics and benzodiazepines as they had a low risk of dependence and overdosing complications .
The serotonergic , noradrenergic and GABAergic pathways play a major role in the fear network and in the physiopathology of PD .
INTRODUCTION Panic disorder ( PD ) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder characterized by unexpected and recurrent panic attacks .
PD patients present significant psychosocial impairment and a high risk of psychiatric comorbidities and suicide .
PD should be treated effectively as soon as the symptoms emerge because the longer these patients remain without treatment , the worse the prognosis will be .
SSRIs and SNRIs are the first-line compounds in the treatment of PD .