THE EFFECT OF FLUVOXAMINE, COGNITIVE THERAPY, AND PLACEBO ON ABNORMAL-PERSONALITY TRAITS IN 44 PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER

The authors report findings from 44 outpatients with panic disorder wh o completed an 8 week randomized trial of fluvoxamine (n = 17), cognit ive therapy (n = 13), or placebo (n = 14). Subjects were given the Per sonality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) before and after the trial. Patients in the three treatment cells were well matched. Nearl y 32% met criteria for a personality disorder at the baseline assessme nt, and there were no significant differences among the treatment grou ps, For the 3 groups combined, the total PDQ-R score had declined sign ificantly by week 8 (p = .03). Of the 17 PDQ-R traits present in at le ast 1/3 of the sample, 82% showed a decline in the cognitive therapy c ell, whereas 53% did not change in the fluvoxamine cell and 41% increa sed in the placebo cell. ''Personality profiles'' were created and sho wed that cognitive therapy was associated with the greatest reduction in abnormal traits, specifically those in the schizotypal, narcissisti c, borderline, and compulsive categories. Axis II traits were relative ly resistant to change with placebo or fluvoxamine. The clinical impli cations of the findings are discussed.