Factors to Predict a Remission after Short-Term Pharmacotherapy in Korean Panic Disorder Patients

한국인 공황장애 환자에서 단기간 약물치료 후 관해 예측인자 연구

Objective : The authors examined the treatment response and remission rates in patients with panic disorder after short-term pharmacotherapy in an effort to determine the factors that can be used to predict remission in Korean patients with panic disorder. Methods : Sixty-one patients with panic disorder were recruited for participation in this study. The psychological symptoms of the patients were measured using the HAMA, HAMD, STAIS, STAIT, ASI and API at baseline and after 3 months of pharmacotherapy. Results : Patients with panic disorder showed significantly lower scores on all psychological measures after 3 months of pharmacotherapy with paroxetine. The remission rate was 44.3%, and the response rate was 54.1%. The remitters showed significantly lower HAMD, HAMA, STAIS, STAIT, and ASI scores than the non-remitters. Linear regression analysis revealed that the baseline HAMA, HAMD, and ASI scores could be used to predict the remission rate after controlling for age, sex and agoraphobia. Conclusion : Compared with previous reports, our study showed a similar remission rate in Korean patients with panic disorder. Lower baseline levels of anxiety, depression, and anxiety sensitivity were found to be predictors of treatment remission in panic disorder.