COMPARISON OF AEROBIC EXERCISE, CLOMIPRAMINE, AND PLACEBO IN THE TREATMENT OF PANIC DISORDER

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the therapeutic ef fect of exercise for patients with panic disorder to a drug treatment of proven efficacy and to placebo. Method: Forty-six outpatients suffe ring from moderate to severe panic disorder with or without agoraphobi a (DSM-III-R criteria) were randomly assigned to a 10-week treatment p rotocol of regular aerobic exercise (running), clomipramine (112.5 mg/ day), or placebo pills. Results: The dropout rate was 31% for the exer cise group, 27% for the placebo group, and 0% for the clomipramine gro up. In comparison with placebo, both exercise and clomipramine led to a significant decrease in symptoms according to all main efficacy meas ures (analysis of variance, last-observation-carried-forward method an d completer analysis). A direct comparison of exercise and clomipramin e revealed that the drug treatment improved anxiety symp toms signific antly earlier and more effectively. Depressive symptoms were also sign ificantly improved by exercise and clomipramine treatment. Conclusions : These results suggest that regular aerobic exercise alone, in compar ison with placebo, is associated with significant clinical improvement in patients suffering from panic disorder, but that it is less effect ive than treatment with clomipramine.