Extrait

Background and study aims Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn't be available if things go wrong. It usually develops as a complication of panic disorder, an anxiety disorder involving panic attacks and moments of intense fear. Agoraphobia can be treated with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy that can help patients manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave. CBT uses a type of therapy called exposure therapy, which involves being gradually exposed to the feared situation and using relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help reduce anxiety. The aim of this study is to find out whether exposure therapy can be improved with the use of the drug D-cycloserine. Who can participate? Patients age 18-75 with panic disorder and agoraphobia What does the study involve? All participants undergo CBT consisting of eight group sessions within 1 month plus three individual exposure therapy sessions. One hour before the start of each exposure session, participants are randomly allocated to receive either D-cycloserine or a placebo (dummy drug). Panic and agoraphobia symptoms are measured at the start of the study, at the end of therapy (1 month after the start of the therapy), and at 2 and 6 months after the start of the therapy. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Not provided at time of registration Where is the study run from? Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin (Germany) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? October 2007 to April 2009 Who is funding the study? Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Germany) Who is the main contact? Dr Andreas Strohle [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Panic disorder with agoraphobia

Liens

• isrctn
• ictrp