DOSE-RESPONSE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ANTIPANIC EFFECTS OF IMIPRAMINE

This article presents panic diary results of a dose-response study wit h Imipramine hydrochloride in panic disorder with agoraphobia patients . Analysis of variance revealed significant time effects on panic freq uency and severity measures, but group x time interaction effects were present for the severity measures only. Results also provided evidenc e for a positive dose-response relationship with 20 percent of patient s in the placebo group, 31 percent in the low-dose group (0.5 mg/kg/da y), 54 percent in the medium-dose group (1.5 mg/kg/day), and 70 percen t in the high-dose (3 mg/kg/day) group being free of recurrent or seve re panic attacks at posttreatment. Further stratified and logistic reg ression analyses revealed a direct linear relationship between total p lasma tricyclic concentration and response. These findings affirm the dose-dependent nature and the specificity of imipramine's antipanic ef fects.