COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF PLATELET H-3 PAROXETINE AND H-3 IMIPRAMINE BINDING IN PANIC DISORDER PATIENTS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

High affinity H-3-paroxetine and H-3-imipramine binding sites were sim ultaneously studied in platelets of 29 untreated patients with panic d isorder and 12 healthy controls. The maximum number of binding sites ( B(max)) was found to be significantly lower in the panic patients comp ared to the controls using either ligand. No difference in the K(d) va lues between the groups of subjects was found. The disturbance of sero tonin neurotransmission in panic disorder - decrease in B(max) values - may be either a consequence or a reason of serotonergic dysfunction.