Is placebo response the same as drug response in panic disorder?
OBJECTIVE
The authors used seven definitions of response in panic disorder to compare patient-rated improvements in quality of life between patients with panic disorder who responded to sertraline and those who responded to placebo.


METHODS
They combined and examined data from two multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, flexible-dose studies of panic disorder (N=302).


RESULTS
Significant differences in quality of life between patients who responded to sertraline and those who responded to placebo were apparent across all the definitions of clinical response.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who respond to placebo in panic disorder treatment studies may show symptom relief but may not experience improvement in quality of life. Determinations of quality of life should be included as components of both standard clinical assessment and clinical treatment studies of patients with panic disorder.
Rapaport
M H
MH
Psychopharmacology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92037, USA. mrapaport@ucsd.edu
Pollack
M
M
Wolkow
R
R
Mardekian
J
J
Clary
C
C
D001294:Attitude to Health; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D015990:Placebo Effect; D010919:Placebos / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011788:Quality of Life; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline