PubMed · 12084372
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Crisanto Díez-Quevedo, Teresa Rangil, Luis Sánchez Planell. 2002-06-15. [Agoraphobia].. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-7753(02)73314-9
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Our aim in this study was to compare panic-related catastrophic appraisals between women and men with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). One hundred two outpatients with PDA (75 women and 27 men) participated. Two instruments for the assessment of catastrophic appraisals, Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire and Panic Appraisal Inventory, were administered before and after cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that also included pharmacotherapy in three-fourths of the patients. Female and male patients did not differ significantly in terms of their tendency to anticipate catastrophic consequences of panic, before or after CBT-based treatment. For both females and males, the tendency to make catastrophic appraisals decreased significantly with treatment. We conclude that among patients with PDA there are no gender differences in catastrophic appraisals of panic sensations and symptoms. The apparently higher risk of panic recurrence in women does not seem to be related to their panic-related catastrophic appraisals. These findings also support a notion that there is no gender difference in response to CBT-based treatment of PDA.
Different aspects of change were examined in 62 patients who fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for a primary diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia of moderate to severe magnitude, and who were treated with 16 sessions of behavioral therapy. The treatment resulted in substantial effects on panic attacks and agoraphobic avoidance. Panic-free status only differentiated the patients regarding mood at pre- and post-treatment. Changes in panic and avoidance were related to each other, but change in avoidance was more related to change in negative affect. Change in quality of life (QOL) was also more associated with change in avoidance at post-treatment. At follow-up change in QOL was more related to change in panic than change in avoidance.
Pregabalin, a compound with a novel mechanism of action (MOA), has demonstrated efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for epilepsy and in several neuropathic pain models. Multiple generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) clinical trials have shown that pregabalin has efficacy similar to the benzodiazepines and venlafaxine. Onset of anxiolytic effect was observed as early as Week 1 of treatment, and efficacy was seen in treating both psychic and somatic anxiety symptoms. Pregabalin binds potently and selectively to the alpha-2-delta subunit of "hyper-excited" voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). The binding of pregabalin to VGCCs changes their conformation, reducing calcium influx at nerve terminals. Pregabalin only modulates the release of excitatory neurotransmitters in "hyper-excited" neurons, restoring them to normal physiological state. This newly defined MOA is believed to confer on pregabalin its anxiolytic, analgesic, and anticonvulsant properties. Thus, pregabalin may offer physicians an effective and well-tolerated therapy for GAD, which differs from existing treatments.