Pattern of placebo response in panic disorder

Abstract

This study characterizes the pattern of placebo response in depressed panic disorder patients who participated in a randomized clinical trial. We compared placebo-treated subjects whose panic attacks remitted, with those whose attacks did not remit, and with remitting and nonremitting subjects treated with active medication. Seventy-one subjects who met criteria for panic disorder and for a concurrent depressive diagnosis (major depression, dysthymia, or depressive disorder not otherwise specified [NOS]) were treated with either imipramine (n = 36) or alprazolam (n = 35), and 28 patients were treated with placebo. Sixteen placebo-treated and 40 medication-treated patients were panic free at Week 8. Placebo panic remitters were significantly more ill than active-medication remitters on all measures. In contrast, subjects who achieved panic remission on placebo showed no difference on other clinical measures from active medication nonremitters, and little difference from placebo nonremitters. Results support the need for assessment of all core panic disorder symptoms in determining treatment efficacy and in considerations of response and remission.