MHPG and heart rate as correlates of nonresponse to drug therapy in panic disorder patients. A preliminary report.
Little is known about biological predictors of treatment response in panic disorder (PD). In the present study heart rate, blood pressure, plasma cortisol and plasma MHPG were investigated at baseline in a sample of 44 PD patients as possible predictors for nonresponse to treatment. We used a strict definition of nonresponse to find patients who did not respond at all after 12 weeks of treatment with brofaromine or fluvoxamine. Patients were considered nonresponders when they fulfilled two criteria: they did not show a 50% reduction of agoraphobic avoidance and they still experienced panic attacks at endpoint. The variables that differed significantly between the groups were used to predict nonresponse to drug therapy. Using this strict definition of nonresponse, 15 patients (32.6%) were considered nonresponders. These patients were characterised by a higher plasma MHPG concentration and a higher heart rate at baseline. These variables were subsequently used to predict nonresponse.
Slaap
B R
BR
Department of Biological Psychiatry, Academic Hospital Groningen, Netherlands.
van Vliet
I M
IM
Westenberg
H G
HG
Den Boer
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D015415:Biomarkers; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010880:Piperidines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C038213:brofaromine