Berger 2004

Methods	ALLOCATION CONCEALMENT: adequate BLINDING:unclear
Participants	DIAGNOSIS: DSM‐III‐R panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (81% with agoraphobia) AGE: mean=33.9 SEX: 66% women HISTORY: mean duration of panic disorder=4.8 years PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY: 19% with major depression, 27% with social phobia, 16% with simple phobia, 10% with GAD, 32% with personality disorder. Melancholic depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, substance abuse/dependence were excluded. MEDICAL COMORBIDITY: Concurrent medical illness was excluded.
Interventions	ACUTE PHASE: 20 weeks 1. paroxetine (mean=31 mg/d, range: 10‐60 mg/d) + cognitive‐interpersonal group therapy (2 individual sessions + 20 weekly group sessions, including elements of CBT and IPT) 2. paroxetine alone ACUTE PHASE CO‐INTERVENTION: Concomitant p.r.n. intake of alprazolam up to 1 mg/d was allowed. MAINTENANCE: None. MODE OF DISCONTINUATION: tapering from week 20 to week 24 FOLLOW‐UP: at 24 weeks, i.e. at the end of tapering. 50% of the original cohort were successfully followed up.
Outcomes	RESPONSE: Much or very much improved on CGI REMISSION: Free of panic attacks GLOBAL: ‐ PANIC ATTACK: panic frequency AGORAPHOBIA: 4‐point rating of agoraphobia GENERAL ANXIETY: 11‐point rating of anticipatory anxiety DEPRESSION: ‐ FUNCTIONING: Sheehan Disability Scale
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment?	Low risk	A ‐ Adequate