BEHAVIORAL AGGRESSION IN PANIC DISORDER AFTER 8 WEEKS TREATMENT WITH ALPRAZOLAM

23 patients with a diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia were r andomly assigned to 8 weeks' treatment with alprazolam or placebo. The y filled in self-ratings before and after treatment and competed an a competitive reaction time task, designed to measure behavioural aggres sion, after 8 weeks' treatment. Patients taking both alprazolam and pl acebo rated decreased anxiety after 8 weeks' treatment but those on al prazolam also tended to report less hostility. On the behavioural task , patients on alprazolam behaved more aggressively in response to prov ocation. This is the first study to confirm clinical reports of benzod iazepine-induced dyscontrol on an objective laboratory measure. It is important that it is followed up in a larger group of patients.