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Comparison of Psychotherapy Programs to Treat Panic Disorder - NCT00353470-19104(Clinical Trial 146695)



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City:  Philadelphia
State:  
PA
Zip Code: 19104
Conditions: Anxiety Disorders - Panic Disorder - Agoraphobia
Purpose: This study will determine the relative effectiveness of three psychotherapies in treating people with a panic disorder.
Study summary: Panic disorder (PD) is a debilitating anxiety disorder. It is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear, accompanied by serious physical symptoms, such as chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal stress. Available treatments for PD include medication therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy that teaches people how to view panic attacks differently and how to reduce anxiety. Approximately 30% of patients refuse medication, however, and nearly 50% do not achieve remission with CBT alone. Therefore, there is a pressing need for additional non-pharmacologic treatment methods. Panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP) and applied relaxation training (ART) are among some of the other available treatments for PD. During ART, individuals are taught to relax their muscles while being exposed to increasingly frightening situations. PFPP combines elements of CBT with other, more extensive approaches aimed at determining the anxiety's origin and at finding ways to reduce it. This study will compare the effectiveness of PFPP, CBT, and ART in treating PD. Participants in this single blind study will be randomly assigned to receive PFPP, CBT, or ART for 12 weeks. All participants will attend between 19 and 24 treatment sessions over the course of the study. Upon completing the study, participants will attend monthly follow-up visits for an additional 12 months. Participants assigned to ART who have not responded by the end of treatment may opt to receive PFPP or CBT. Outcomes will be assessed using a variety of scales to determine depression and anxiety symptoms.
Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: - Meets DSM-IV diagnosis criteria for primary PD with or without agoraphobia - History of at least one spontaneous panic attack per week within the month prior to study entry Exclusion Criteria: - Active substance dependence within 6 months prior to study entry - Lifetime history of any psychotic disorder, including bipolar disorder - Acutely suicidal
Study is available at: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

Primary Contact:
Barbara Milrod, MD
Email: bmilrod@med.cornell.edu
Phone: 212-746-5868
If you are interested in this clinical trial please use the contact information above. If you would like to get additional information about this clinical trial please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
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Data Source: ClinicalTrials.gov
Date Processed: March 21, 2011
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