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 .
Serotonergic modulation of the balance system in panic disorder: An open study
Experimental evidence suggests that panic disorder is characterized by abnormalities in the balance system function and that these abnormalities might be related to the severity of agoraphobic avoidance . Since the balance system can be modulated by the serotonergic system , we investigated the effect of a 6‐week treatment with citalopram on the balance system function in patients with panic disorder . Fifteen patients with panic disorder with/without agoraphobia underwent static posturography on days 0 and 42 . Static posturography and clinical assessment s were carried out by different investigators who were blind to each other . Static posturography showed high percentages of abnormal scores . Patients with no or low agoraphobic avoidance showed less abnormal posturographic measures than those with moderate to severe agoraphobia . After 6 weeks of treatment with citalopram there was a significant decrease of four out of six posturography measures in eyes‐closed and neck extension conditions , whereas no significant effect was found in the eyes‐open condition . This is the first report that suggests that the modulation of the serotonergic system can improve the balance system function in patients with panic disorder , particularly when visual information is lacking . In addition , our findings confirm the observation that many patients with panic disorder have abnormalities in their balance system function , supporting the idea that these abnormalities are mainly related to agoraphobic avoidance . Depression and Anxiety 17:101–106 , 2003 . © 2003 Wiley‐Liss ,
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 .