BEHAVIORAL AND ENDOCRINE RESPONSES TO CLOMIPRAMINE IN PANIC DISORDER PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT ALCOHOLISM

Central nervous system serotonin functions may differ between certain subgroups of alcoholics, patients with panic disorder, and healthy vol unteers. To investigate these possibilities we administered the seroto nin uptake inhibitor, clomipramine (12.5 mg, IV), to patients, with al cohol dependence, patients with panic disorder with or without alcohol dependence, and healthy volunteers. Alcoholics did nor differ from he althy volunteers in their neuroendocrine or behavioral responses. In c ontrast patients with panic disorder exhibited marked dysphoric reacti ons and/or panic attacks following low-dose IV clomipramine, whereas t heir neuroendocrine responses were similar to the other two groups. Pa tients with panic disorder may have super-sensitive postsynaptic serot onin receptors in areas of their central nervous system, which are imp ortant for mood regulation.