SPECTRAL ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM AND CLINICAL FOLLOW-UP DURING ALPRAZOLAM AND IMIPRAMINE TREATMENT IN PANIC DISORDER

The response to alprazolam and imipramine in 22 patients with panic di sorder was studied by means of clinical follow-up, routine electroence phalogram (EEG), and spectral analysis of EEG background activity (spe ctral EEG). Both psychotropic drug treatments resulted in good clinica l response during the 5-month follow-up period. The routine EEG was ab normal in 9 patients (41%), but no epileptiform EEG abnormalities were found. The spectral EEGs of the panic patients did not differ from th ose of the controls. Comparison of alprazolam and imipramine treatment s showed some significant differences; alprazolam increased the relati ve beta power and decreased the delta power, thus resulting in signifi cant changes of the corresponding ratios of fast- to slow-wave activit y. Alprazolam also markedly increased the occipital mean frequency dur ing the treatment period. On the other hand, the occipital mean freque ncy was only slightly decreased in the imipramine group, even though t he occipital theta and delta bands significantly increased in patients receiving imipramine.