title: Predictors of outcome of pharmacological and psychological treatment of late-life panic disorder with agoraphobia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the differential predictive values of age, age of onset and duration of illness on paroxetine and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) outcome in late-life panic disorder with agoraphobia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients 60 years and older with a confirmed diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia (n = 49) were randomly assigned to paroxetine (40 mg/day) treatment, individual CBT or a waiting-list control condition. Multiple regression analyses were conducted per treatment arm with post-treatment avoidance behaviour and agoraphobic cognitions as the dependent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher age at onset and shorter duration of illness were predictors of superior outcomes following CBT, although these variables did not influence the treatment effects of paroxetine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In late-life agoraphobic panic disorder, chronological age has no impact on treatment modality outcome. In older patients with a late disease onset or shorter duration of illness, CBT is to be preferred over paroxetine, whereas paroxetine might be the treatment of choice for older people with an early onset and short duration of illness.
authors: Centre for Anxiety Disorders Overwaal, Lent, the Netherlands. ghendriks@overwaal.nl
authors: Gert-Jan
authors: GJ
authors: Hendriks
authors: Ger P J
authors: GP
authors: Keijsers
authors: Mirjam
authors: M
authors: Kampman
authors: Cees A L
authors: CA
authors: Hoogduin
authors: Richard C
authors: RC
authors: Oude Voshaar
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D017374:Paroxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors