BackgroundThe growth of the Internet has led to significant change and has become an integral part of modern life. It has made life easier and provided innumerous benefits; however, excessive use has brought about the potential for addiction, leading to severe impairments in social, academic, financial, psychological, and work domains. Individuals addicted to the Internet usually have comorbid psychiatric disorders. Panic disorder (PD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are prevalent mental disorders, involving a great deal of damage in the patient’s life.ObjectiveThis open trial study describes a treatment protocol among 39 patients with anxiety disorders and Internet addiction (IA) involving pharmacotherapy and modified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).MethodsOf the 39 patients, 25 were diagnosed with PD and 14 with GAD, in addition to Internet addiction. At screening, patients responded to the MINI 5.0, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impressions Scale, and the Young Internet Addiction Scale. At that time, IA was observed taking into consideration the IAT scale (cutoff score above 50), while anxiety disorders were diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Patients were forwarded for pharmacotherapy and a modified CBT protocol. Psychotherapy was conducted individually, once a week, over a period of 10 weeks, and results suggest that the treatment was effective for anxiety and Internet addiction.ResultsBefore treatment, anxiety levels suggested severe anxiety, with an average score of 34.26 (SD 6.13); however, after treatment the mean score was 15.03 (SD 3.88) (P<.001). A significant improvement in mean Internet addiction scores was observed, from 67.67 (SD 7.69) before treatment, showing problematic internet use, to 37.56 (SD 9.32) after treatment (P<.001), indicating medium Internet use. With respect to the relationship between IA and anxiety, the correlation between scores was .724.ConclusionsThis study is the first research into IA treatment of a Brazilian population. The improvement was remarkable due to the complete engagement of patients in therapy, which contributed to the success of the treatment from a behavioral perspective, and gave patients the confidence to continue to manage Internet use in their lives.
Only 11 articles were included in this review. There were few quality studies, only two were randomized, controlled and double blind. Augmentation of the pharmacological treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy demonstrated some short-term efficacy in treatment-resistant PD. There were also preliminary evidences of efficacy for monotherapy with reboxetine and olanzapine, and augmentation with pindolol, divalproex sodium, aripiprazole and olanzapine in short-term treatment.
Certain characteristics, such as heightened sensitivity to CO2 and the higher incidence of a family history of PD, clearly distinguished the Respiratory Subtype patients from the Non-Respiratory. Nonetheless, some studies failed to demonstrate differential responses to pharmacological treatment and CBT across the subtypes. RS patients seem to respond faster than NRS to pharmacological treatment with antidepressants and benzodiazepines, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Objective Treatment for panic disorder (PD) have evolved, although there is still a strong unmet need for more effective and tolerable options. The present study summarizes and discusses recent evidence regarding the pharmacological and neuromodulatory treatment of PD. Methods MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Thomson Reuters’s Web of Science were searched for clinical trials published between 2010 and 2018. We included all prospective experimental studies including randomized controlled trials (RCT) and other clinical trials with more than 10 patients. Results Only 11 articles met the inclusion criteria, including 4 RCT, 3 open clinical trials and 5 comparative clinical trials. RCT demonstrated efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in only one of two trials. Neither pindolol nor d-fenfluramine were effective in blocking flumazenil-induced panic attacks. Augmentation with quetiapine was not superior to placebo. Open trials indicated that escitalopram, vortioxetine and TMS may be effective. Comparative trials did not demonstrate superiority from any drug, but confirmed tranylcypromine, paroxetine, clonazepam and alprazolam as effective options. Conclusion The current study confirmed the efficacy of tranylcypromine, paroxetine, clonazepam, alprazolam and escitalopram. Vortioxetine and TMS, with duration of 4 or more weeks, also seems to be effective. Quetiapine, pindolol and d-fenfluramine were not considered effective compounds.
Panic disorder (PD) is often correlated with high neuroticism and low extraversion. This study aims to ascertain whether PD patients differ from healthy controls in regard to personality traits and determine if these traits are correlated with comorbid disorders, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Personality traits of 69 PD patients and 42 controls were compared using the Maudsley Personality Inventory. In PD patients, comorbidities, anxiety, and depression symptoms were also evaluated. PD patients showed higher neuroticism and lower extraversion compared with healthy controls. Patients without comorbidities presented similar results to controls, whereas those with comorbidities presented higher neuroticism and lower extraversion scores. PD per se may be unrelated to deviant personality traits, although comorbidities with major depressive disorder and agoraphobia are probably associated with high neuroticism and low extraversion. These traits show a strong correlation with the accumulation and severity of these disorders.
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