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Pharmacological Treatment of Agoraphobia

Imipramine versus Imipramine with Programmed Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Matig Mavissakalian ,
Larry Michelson  and
Robert S. Dealy
Matig Mavissakalian
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Larry Michelson
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Robert S. Dealy
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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Summary

Eighteen agoraphobic patients were randomly assigned to 12 week treatment with imipramine (I) or imipramine and programmed in-vivo exposure practice (l+BT) to investigate the contribution of behavioural instructions to the clinical effects of pharmacotherapy. Significantly greater improvement on phobic measures was found in the l+BT group compared to the I group. Differences were less marked on measures of panic and anxiety. The results suggest that imipramine possesses an antiphobic effect which can be substantially enhanced with programmed practice. Controlled large-scale investigations of the pharmacological and instructional effects of the pharmacotherapy of agoraphobia are needed for a definitive evaluation of the specific antiphobic effect of antidepressant drugs.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 143 , Issue 4 , October 1983 , pp. 348 - 355
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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