Why the study?
Does a 7-day treatment with citalopram reduce CO2 reactivity and clinical symptomatology in patients with panic disorder?
Does a 7-day treatment with citalopram reduce CO2 reactivity and clinical symptomatology in patients with panic disorder?
A 7-day treatment with citalopram significantly reduces CO2 hyperreactivity and anticipatory anxiety in patients with panic disorder.
Hypothesis-generating for rapid citalopram effects in panic; should not change practice without RCTs.
The effect of a short treatment (7 days) with citalopram on the reactivity to inhalations of 35% CO2 and 65% oxygen and on clinical symptomatology was investigated in 15 patients with panic disorder who had a positive response to 35% CO2 inhalation. An open study design was applied. On day 0, before starting drug treatment, and after 1 week of treatment, each patient underwent the 35% CO2 challenge, and clinical symptomatology was evaluated with psychometric scales. The results showed a significant reduction of CO2 reactivity and of scores on the anticipatory anxiety subscale of Panic Associated Symptoms Scale. These results confirm that the serotonergic system plays an important role in the modulation of CO2 hyperreactivity and suggest an early anxiolytic effect of citalopram in patients who have panic disorder and are hyperreactive to CO2.
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Bertani et al. (2001) studied this question.
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