MAO INHIBITORS IN PANIC DISORDER - CLINICAL EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITHBROFAROMINE - A DOUBLE BLIND PLACEBO CONTROLLED STUDY

There is considerable evidence that antidepressants, particularly sero tonin uptake inhibitors, are effective in the treatment of panic disor der (PD). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) may also have beneficial effects in PD. In this study 30 patients with PD with or without agor aphobia (DSM-III-R) were treated with the selective and reversible MAO -A inhibitor brofaromine (150 mg daily) in a 12-week double-blind plac ebo controlled design. A clinical relevant improvement was found in mo re than 70% of the patients treated with brofaromine, whereas no signi ficant improvement was observed on placebo. After an increase in anxie ty in the first week, a clinically relevant improvement in anxiety sym ptoms was found, followed by a subsequent reduction in agoraphobic avo idance in patients treated with brofaromine. A similar improvement was observed on distress scores related to panic attacks, although there was no significant reduction in the number of panic attacks. The most prominent side-effects were middle sleep disturbance and nausea. No in crease in blood pressure was observed. During a followup period of ano ther 12 weeks a further improvement was found in patients treated with brofaromine.