Abstract
BackgroundDespite the current treatments available for panic disorder (PD), as many as one-third of patients have persistent and treatment-resistant panic attacks. Vortioxetine is an approved medicine for major depressive disorder and has been shown to have anxiolytic properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its efficacy and safety in an adult population with a diagnosis of PD.MethodsThe study design was open label with flexible dose strategies (5, 10, or 20 mg) with a treatment period of 10 weeks. 27 male and female subjects aged between 18 and 60 years, who met DSM-IV criteria for PD with or without agoraphobia, or who had a Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) score > 8 at baseline were enrolled. Statistical significance was established by the Student’s T test.ResultsA statistically significant decrease in the occurrence of panic attacks was measured with the PDSS with vortioxetine. In addition, a moderate improvement in the quality of life and no significant side effects were observed using the Quality-of-Life Scale and Monitoring of Side Effects Scale, respectively.ConclusionsThese results provide some support for the use of vortioxetine in the management of panic disorder.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID#: NCT02395510. Registered March 23, 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02395510
Highlights
Despite the current treatments available for panic disorder (PD), as many as one-third of patients have persistent and treatment-resistant panic attacks
PD has a strong co-morbidity with other anxiety disorders, especially social phobia and obsessive–compulsive disorder [5]
The secondary aim of this study was to monitor the quality of life of subjects with PD when treated with vortioxetine
Summary
Despite the current treatments available for panic disorder (PD), as many as one-third of patients have persistent and treatment-resistant panic attacks. Panic disorder (PD) is a common anxiety disorder affecting up to 5% of the population at a given time [1, 2]. It is characterized by one or more unexpected panic attacks followed by anticipatory worry about additional attacks, including a morbid fear of death. PD has been strongly linked to age, female gender, smoking, and depleted financial resources [3]. While there are other neurobiological mechanisms involving corticotrophic releasing factor (CRF), dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal gland, and disrupted GABA and glutamate activity, the following are the proposed mechanisms of action controlling panic attacks:
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
