The efficacy of azapirones is uncertain due to the lack of meta-analysable data for the primary outcome and low- quality evidence for secondary efficacy outcomes .
A small amount of moderate- quality evidence suggested that the acceptability of azapirones for panic disorder was lower than for placebo .
If further research is to be conducted , studies with larger sample sizes , with different azapirones and with less risk of bias are necessary to draw firm conclusions regarding azapirones for panic disorder
BACKGROUND Panic disorder is common in the general population .
It is often associated with other psychiatric disorders , such as drug dependence , major depression , bipolar disorder , social phobia , specific phobia and generalised anxiety disorder .
Azapirones are a class of drugs used as anxiolytics .
They are associated with less drowsiness , psychomotor impairment , alcohol potentiation and potential for addiction or abuse than benzodiazepines .
However , azapirones are not widely used in the treatment of panic disorder and evidence for their efficacy is unclear .
It is important to find out if azapirones are effective and acceptable in the treatment of panic disorder .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of azapirones on panic disorder in adults , specifically:1 .
to determine the efficacy of azapirones in alleviating symptoms of panic disorder , with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with placebo;2 .
to review the acceptability of azapirones in panic disorder , with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with placebo ; and 3 .
to investigate adverse effects of azapirones in panic disorder with or without agoraphobia , including general prevalence of adverse effects , compared with placebo .
Serotonergic anxiolytics in the treatment of panic disorder: a controlled study with buspirone.
The efficacy of buspirone for panic disorder was tested in 60 patients who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( 3rd ed . ) criteria for panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks . Patients were r and omly assigned to treatment with buspirone ( mean dose 29.5 mg/day ) , imipramine ( mean dose 140 mg/day ) , or placebo , and treated for 8 weeks after a 4- to 7-day placebo lead-in period . Patients with 4 or fewer attacks per month and those without attacks at the baseline visit were excluded from panic frequency comparisons . Both buspirone and imipramine tended to be better than placebo on total number of panic attacks , global psychopathology , and the Hamilton Anxiety rating scale , but end point differences among treatments were not statistically significant . At the end of the study , 25 % of the buspirone patients were panic-free , as were 7 % of the imipramine patients and 14 % of the placebo patients ; again , these differences were not statistically significant . The results of this study were inconclusive , partly because of the relatively small number of patients ( 10 - 11 ) completing the study in each treatment group , and partly because of a robust placebo response in this population . Possible reasons for this high placebo response are discussed , as well as suggestions for changes in study design for future studies
The efficacy of azapirones is uncertain due to the lack of meta-analysable data for the primary outcome and low- quality evidence for secondary efficacy outcomes .
A small amount of moderate- quality evidence suggested that the acceptability of azapirones for panic disorder was lower than for placebo .
If further research is to be conducted , studies with larger sample sizes , with different azapirones and with less risk of bias are necessary to draw firm conclusions regarding azapirones for panic disorder
BACKGROUND Panic disorder is common in the general population .
It is often associated with other psychiatric disorders , such as drug dependence , major depression , bipolar disorder , social phobia , specific phobia and generalised anxiety disorder .
Azapirones are a class of drugs used as anxiolytics .
They are associated with less drowsiness , psychomotor impairment , alcohol potentiation and potential for addiction or abuse than benzodiazepines .
However , azapirones are not widely used in the treatment of panic disorder and evidence for their efficacy is unclear .
It is important to find out if azapirones are effective and acceptable in the treatment of panic disorder .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of azapirones on panic disorder in adults , specifically:1 .
to determine the efficacy of azapirones in alleviating symptoms of panic disorder , with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with placebo;2 .
to review the acceptability of azapirones in panic disorder , with or without agoraphobia , in comparison with placebo ; and 3 .
to investigate adverse effects of azapirones in panic disorder with or without agoraphobia , including general prevalence of adverse effects , compared with placebo .