title: Anticonvulsant medications for panic disorder: a review and synthesis of the evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, there are no guidelines for when to use an antiepileptic drug (AED) in nonepileptic panic disorder (PD) patients. We conducted this review to ascertain what guidance available literature can provide as to when to consider AEDs for PD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary data sources were PubMed and Google-Scholars. Search was limited to "English" and "Humans". Only papers addressing use of nonbenzodiazepine AEDs in PD were included. Data regarding study subjects, the AED utilized, and clinical responses were collected. EEG data were used to classify reports of patients with abnormal versus those with normal and/or no EEG work-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten reports were identified for use of AEDs in PD patients with abnormal EEGs with a total of 20 patients (17 responders). None of the 10 reports were controlled studies. Eighteen reports were identified for use of AEDs in panic patients with either normal EEGs or unselected groups (no EEG work-up). Out of the 18 reports, three were controlled studies. Included in the 18 studies were 253 patients (137 responders).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We preliminary concluded that EEG work-up could be useful in guiding the treatment in PD as an abnormal EEG may be indicative of a higher likelihood of a positive response to an AED.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, University of Missouri , Kansas City, Kansas City, MO , USA.
authors: Nash N
authors: NN
authors: Boutros
authors: Samiran
authors: S
authors: Ghosh
authors: Aminah
authors: A
authors: Khan
authors: Susan M
authors: SM
authors: Bowyer
authors: Matthew P
authors: MP
authors: Galloway
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D017594:Publication Bias; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants