Long-term Escitalopram Treatment in Korean Patients with Panic Disorder: A Prospective, Naturalistic, Open-label, Multicenter Trial.
- Author:
Kwan Woo CHOI
1
;
Jong Min WOO
;
Youl Ri KIM
;
Seung Hwan LEE
;
Sang Yeol LEE
;
Eui Jung KIM
;
Sang Keun CHUNG
;
Eun Ho KANG
;
Jae Hon LEE
;
Bum Hee YU
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. bhyu@skku.edu
- Publication Type:Multicenter Study ; Original Article
- Keywords:
Panic disorder;
Escitalopram;
Anxiety, psychopharmacology;
Antidepressants
- MeSH:
Adult;
Antidepressive Agents;
Citalopram;
Humans;
Panic;
Panic Disorder;
Prospective Studies
- From:Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
2012;10(1):44-48
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks, persistent concerns about additional attacks, and worry about the implications of the attack or significant changes in behavior related to the attacks. We examined the efficacy of 24-week naturalistic, open-label escitalopram treatment in terms of the response and remission rates and functional disability in 119 adult Korean patients with panic disorder from 6 clinical centers in South Korea. METHODS: Clinical severity and functional impairment were assessed at baseline and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the treatment using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale and Sheehan Disability Scale. Ninety-six patients (80.7%) showed a treatment response, and 87 patients (73.1%) had attained remission after 24 weeks of escitalopram treatment. RESULTS: Continuous improvement in the Panic Disorder Severity Scale and Sheehan Disability Scale scores was found over the 24 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that escitalopram treatment is very effective for panic disorder in terms of both response and remission rates and that long-term pharmacotherapy with escitalopram continuously improved panic symptoms and functional disability in Korean patients with panic disorder.
