Active clinical trials for "Panic Disorder"

This study will be executed according to a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial with two parallel groups, treated over the period of 6 months with escitalopram or placebo. Hypotheses: Escitalopram is more effective than placebo in the control of gastrointestinal symptoms, in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients with panic disorder. Escitalopram is more effective than placebo in the control of psychiatric symptoms, in IBS patients with panic disorder.

To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of Multiple Channel Exposure Therapy-Veterans (MCET-V) as a treatment for returning service members with comorbid PTSD and panic disorder (PD). This study will examine the effectiveness of MCET-V by comparing it to Cognitive Processing Therapy, a standard PTSD treatment.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy with a panic control treatment component in treating adolescents with panic disorder.

Efficacy and safety of a 10-weeks treatment protocol of paroxetine vs. placebo in combination with regular aerobic exercise (running) or regular relaxation training in the treatment of panic disorder.

An 8-week, open-label trial in 848 subjects at 212 sites to compare time to response in symptoms of anxiety in subjects treated with Niravam™ and a newly prescribed Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)or Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) to that in subjects treated with a newly prescribed SSRI/SNRI alone. Subjects must be at least 18 years of age and positive for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)or Panic Disorder. Subjects will be randomized to receive concomitant Niravam™ and an SSRI/SNRI or an SSRI/SNRI alone during the study. Most symptom evaluations will be done using an automated phone interview system. There are 4 clinic visits.

The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug combination paroxetine and clonazepam in treating people with panic disorder (PD) and major depression. The main goal in treating people with PD is to rapidly reduce symptom severity and improve functioning. While numerous drug therapies have been used to treat PD, these treatments are limited by variable response rates and suboptimal side effect profiles. Evidence suggests that clonazepam given with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) can facilitate a rapid reduction in PD symptoms. However, it is unclear whether comorbid depression influences treatment response to the clonazepam and SSRI regimen. This study will examine whether combined treatment with clonazepam and the SSRI paroxetine will accelerate clinical response in participants with PD and comorbid depression. This study will also examine whether the benefits of treatment will be sustained until the end of the study despite tapering of clonazepam at the midpoint of the study. Participants in this study will be screened with medical and psychiatric interviews, a physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood tests. Participants will then be randomly assigned to receive either paroxetine plus clonazepam or paroxetine plus placebo (an inactive pill) for 12 weeks. Participants will have weekly clinic visits during which symptoms and drug side effects will be checked and an interview to evaluate panic disorder and depression symptoms will be conducted.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with or without medication has been used in the treatment of panic disorder (PD). The purpose of this study is 1) to determine whether nine months of maintenance cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) significantly improves the likelihood of sustained improvement; and 2) to determine the acute acceptability and efficacy of medication therapy or continued CBT alone among patients who fail to respond sufficiently to an initial course of CBT alone. It has been found that patients with PD respond as well to CBT or medication alone as they do to a combination of the two. Since the combined treatments are expensive and CBT is associated with less risk of medical toxicity compared to medications, CBT alone will be used first. All patients will first receive CBT alone. If the patient responds to this therapy, the patient will be assigned randomly (like tossing a coin) to 1 of 2 groups. One group will continue to receive CBT (maintenance therapy) for 9 months. The other group of responders will not receive any further therapy. If a patient does not respond to CBT alone, he/she will be assigned randomly to 1 of 2 different groups. One group will receive paroxetine; the other will continue to receive CBT for a longer period. The response to treatment will be evaluated to see which regimen works best to treat PD. The study will last approximately 3 years. An individual may be eligible for this study if he/she has panic disorder with no more than mild agoraphobia (fear of being in public places) and is at least 18 years old.

The purpose of this study is to compare a stepped care model for the treatment of social phobia and panic disorder with standard psychological treatment. The stepped care model comprises three steps: short psycho-education, a 10 weeks Internet-based self-help program, 12 weeks individual cognitive-behavioural therapy. Patients are assessed at each step and taken out of the study if they show significant clinical improvement and follow for 12 months. Patients are randomized to either the stepped care model or standard psychological treatment, i.e. individual cognitive-behavioural therapy. All treatment components are manualized.

Panic disorder is one of the most prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorders. Brain regions such as amygdala, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), locus coeruleus, parahippocampal gyrus, frontal cortex, and thalamus has been reported to be related with the pathophysiology and treatment outcome in panic disorder. Paroxetine has been used as primary agent for treatment of panic disorder but there is little information on how paroxetine affects the brain function in patients with panic disorder. The specific aim of this study is to examine the differences in brain activity between responders and nonresponders and to determine the predictor of paroxetine treatment in patients with panic disorder in terms of brain activity.

The research plan involves two aims: 1) Cultural adaptation of the Panic-Asthma Treatment and 2) a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study. Participants will be primarily recruited from two major, inner-city hospitals in the Bronx, NY. Diagnosis of Panic Disorder (PD) will be based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Diagnosis of asthma will be based on national guidelines. The first year of the project will be devoted to approximately 5 focus groups with Latino (primarily Puerto Rican) participants, pilot treatment and participant feedback. The protocol will be adapted based on key cultural issues that are systematically observed during Phase 1. During Years 2-3, 40 participants with PD and asthma will be randomized into two treatment arms: Panic-Asthma Treatment and an active placebo condition involving music therapy and paced breathing at resting respiration rates. Each treatment will involve 8 weekly sessions. An interviewer, who will be blind to treatment condition, will conduct assessments at pre-treatment, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. The primary hypotheses are that participants in the Panic-Asthma treatment group will have greater decreases than subjects in the placebo condition on the PD severity scale and albuterol use (i.e., rescue asthma medication) from pre-test to post-test and across 3-month follow-up.