Methods | ALLOCATION CONCEALMENT: unclear BLINDING: at least one measure was assessed by an independent assessor blind to treatment allocation | |
Participants | DIAGNOSIS: DSM‐III‐R panic disorder with mild to no agoraphobia AGE: mean=34.1 to 37.8 years SEX: 62% women HISTORY: mean duration of panic disorder=5.5 to 6.6 years During wash‐out, up to 10 doses of benzos were allowed during 2 weeks. PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY: 27% suffered from current major depression. MEDICAL COMORBIDITY: Significant medical illness was excluded. | |
Interventions | ACUTE PHASE: 12 weeks 1. imipramine (mean=214 to 239 mg/d by week 12) + CBT (11sessions during 3 months) 2. imipramine alone 3. CBT alone 4. CBT + placebo 5. placebo alone (not used in the current meta‐analysis) ACUTE PHASE CO‐INTERVENTION: Patients were permitted up to 20 doses of benzo (0.5 mg of alprazolam equivalent) during 3 months after the study started. MAINTENANCE: 6 months of monthly appointments MODE OF DISCONTINUATION: Abrupt (?) FOLLOW‐UP: at 6 months after treatment discontinuation. 33% of the original cohort was successfully followed up. INTERVENTIONS AFTER TRIAL DISCONTINUATION: described as "no treatment" but more details lacking |
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Outcomes | RESPONSE: >= 40% reduction on PDSS; "much improved" or better on CGI Improvement and "mild" or less on CGI Severity REMISSION: 2 or better on CGI Severity GLOBAL: PDSS, CGI PANIC ATTACK: ‐ AGORAPHOBIA: ‐ GENERAL ANXIETY: ‐ DEPRESSION: ‐ FUNCTIONING: ‐ | |
Notes | ||
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Allocation concealment? | Unclear risk | B ‐ Unclear |