Panic DisorderPhase 4NCT00031317
Evaluation of Clonazepam and Paroxetine for Panic Disorder With Depression
A Phase 4 study testing Paroxetine and Clozapine in people with Panic Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug combination paroxetine and clonazepam in treating people with panic disorder (PD) and major depression. The main goal in treating people with PD is to rapidly reduce symptom severity and improve functioning. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Panic Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Paroxetine and Clozapine
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Feb 2002to Jun 2005
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients with a primary diagnosis of Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia or Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia according to DSM-IV criteria, and co-morbid major depressive disorder are eligible. Patients are required to have a weekly panic attack frequency of greater than or equal to 1/ week in the month prior to intake or a CGI score greater than 4 in the week prior to randomization. Patients with co-morbid major depressive disorder will be included provided that the onset of PD was earlier than the onset of the depressive disorder. The presence of co-morbid depression will be determined by using DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder, and HDRS scores will be in the moderately-to-severely depressed range (greater than 15).
- Subjects will be at least 18 years old. Those above age 65 years must be able to tolerate paroxetine starting dose of at least 20 mg daily and be without hepatic or renal impairment.
- Male and female subjects will be included.
- The patient must have given written informed consent prior to any study procedures.
- In addition, eligible patients must be in good physical health as confirmed by a complete physical exam (including normal vital signs), electrocardiogram, neurological exam, and routine laboratory tests of blood and urine.
- Patients will be drug free for at least 7 days when starting with the study medication. We will study both, untreated, symptomatic patients, and patients who did not respond to their pervious psychopharmacological treatment. The unsuccessful medication will be tapered off, and a medication-free period of 7 days will be established.
Who cannot join
- Patients with any serious or unstable medical disorder or condition that would preclude the administration of paroxetine or clonazepam (e.g. epilepsy, severe head injury, meningitis, allergic to either drug).
- Patients who would be unable to comply with study procedures or assessments.
- Patients who meet DSM-IV lifetime criteria for benzodiazepine abuse or dependence.
- Patients who are on other psychotropic drugs must have discontinued them for at least 1 week prior to randomization. Patients are ineligible who experience any current signs of symptoms of drug withdrawal during taper of unsuccessful medication.
- Patients who are currently at high risk for homicide or suicide.
- Patients who had previously failed an adequate trial of paroxetine or clonazepam.
- Women of childbearing potential who are not practicing a clinically accepted method of contraception or who have a positive pregnancy test or who are lactating.
- Patients who are currently treated with fluoxetine.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: Combined Treatment With A Benzodiazepine (Clonazepam) And A Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (Paroxetine) For Rapid Treatment Of Panic Disorder With Depression
The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug combination paroxetine and clonazepam in treating people with panic disorder (PD) and major depression.
The main goal in treating people with PD is to rapidly reduce symptom severity and improve functioning. While numerous drug therapies have been used to treat PD, these treatments are limited by variable response rates and suboptimal side effect profiles. Evidence suggests that clonazepam given with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) can facilitate a rapid reduction in PD symptoms. However, it is unclear whether comorbid depression influences treatment response to the clonazepam and SSRI regimen. This study will examine whether combined treatment with clonazepam and the SSRI paroxetine will accelerate clinical response in participants with PD and comorbid depression. This study will also examine whether the benefits of treatment will be sustained until the end of the study despite tapering of clonazepam at the midpoint of the study.
Participants in this study will be screened with medical and psychiatric interviews, a physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood tests. Participants will then be randomly assigned to receive either paroxetine plus clonazepam or paroxetine plus placebo (an inactive pill) for 12 weeks. Participants will have weekly clinic visits during which symptoms and drug side effects will be checked and an interview to evaluate panic disorder and depression symptoms will be conducted.
Read the detailed description
The main goal of treatment in patients with Panic Disorder (PD) is to effect a rapid reduction in symptom severity and improve functioning. While numerous pharmacological approaches have been used to treat PD, these treatments are limited by variable response rates, up to a 6-week lag period prior to the onset of clinical response, and sub-optimal side effect profile, including possible worsening of anxiety and insomnia.
There is recent evidence that the benzodiazepine clonazepam prescribed with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) can facilitate a rapid reduction of symptoms in PD. The improvement in symptoms was maintained despite tapering the clonazepam prior to the end of the study. However, it was unclear if co-morbid depression influenced the treatment response to this regimen. In addition, a recent study in patients with major depression demonstrated that combined fluoxetine-clonazepam treatment resulted in a more rapid antidepressant response than the fluoxetine-placebo combination.
The proposed study will examine whether combined treatment with a clonazepam and paroxetine in patients with PD and comorbid depression will accelerate the onset of clinical response at both panic and depression symptoms. PD with comorbid major depression is a more severe disorder than PD alone. We will also examine whether the rapid and clinically meaningful benefits will be sustained until the end of the study, despite tapering off clonazepam at the midpoint of the study. If this study turns out to be the case combined SSRI-benzodiazepine treatment may become a standard initial therapeutic approach to PD and comorbid major depression.
- Conditions
- Panic Disorder
- Being tested
- Paroxetine, Clozapine
- Keywords
- Depression, Treatment, Antidepressant, Benzodiazepine (clonazepam), SSRI (paroxetine), Combined Treatment, Panic Disorder (PD), Panic Disorder, PD
- Medical subject headings
- Panic Disorder, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ParoxetineDrug
ClozapineDrug
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Mar 2002 (estimated)
- Study startFeb 2002
- Study completionJun 2005
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Panic DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Enrolment
- 60 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00031317
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 020136
- Other IDs
- 02-M-0136
- Status last verified
- Jun 2005
- First submitted
- 28 Feb 2002
- Last updated
- 4 Mar 2008
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Apfeldorf WJ, Spielman LA, Cloitre M, Heckelman L, Shear MK. Morbidity of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in the clinical presentation of panic disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2000;12(2):78-84. doi: 10.1002/1520-6394(2000)12:23.0.CO;2-5.
PubMed 11091930Ballenger JC, Wheadon DE, Steiner M, Bushnell W, Gergel IP. Double-blind, fixed-dose, placebo-controlled study of paroxetine in the treatment of panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Jan;155(1):36-42. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.1.36.
PubMed 9433336Black DW, Wesner R, Bowers W, Gabel J. A comparison of fluvoxamine, cognitive therapy, and placebo in the treatment of panic disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993 Jan;50(1):44-50. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820130046008.
PubMed 8422221
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Mar 2008. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Combined Treatment With A Benzodiazepine (Clonazepam) And A Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (Paroxetine) For Rapid Treatment Of Panic Disorder With Depression
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00031317
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 020136
- Conditions
- Panic Disorder
- Keywords
- Depression, Treatment, Antidepressant, Benzodiazepine (clonazepam), SSRI (paroxetine), Combined Treatment, Panic Disorder (PD), Panic Disorder
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- Feb 2002
- Study completion
- Jun 2005
- First posted
- 1 Mar 2002 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug combination paroxetine and clonazepam in treating people with panic disorder (PD) and major depression.
The main goal in treating people with PD is to rapidly reduce symptom severity and improve functioning. While numerous drug therapies have been used to treat PD, these treatments are limited by variable response rates and suboptimal side effect profiles. Evidence suggests that clonazepam given with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) can facilitate a rapid reduction in PD symptoms. However, it is unclear whether comorbid depression influences treatment response to the clonazepam and SSRI regimen. This study will examine whether combined treatment with clonazepam and the SSRI paroxetine will accelerate clinical response in participants with PD and comorbid depression. This study will also examine whether the benefits of treatment will be sustained until the end of the study despite tapering of clonazepam at the midpoint of the study.
Participants in this study will be screened with medical and psychiatric interviews, a physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood tests. Participants will then be randomly assigned to receive either paroxetine plus clonazepam or paroxetine plus placebo (an inactive pill) for 12 weeks. Participants will have weekly clinic visits during which symptoms and drug side effects will be checked and an interview to evaluate panic disorder and depression symptoms will be conducted.
Detailed description
The main goal of treatment in patients with Panic Disorder (PD) is to effect a rapid reduction in symptom severity and improve functioning. While numerous pharmacological approaches have been used to treat PD, these treatments are limited by variable response rates, up to a 6-week lag period prior to the onset of clinical response, and sub-optimal side effect profile, including possible worsening of anxiety and insomnia.
There is recent evidence that the benzodiazepine clonazepam prescribed with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) can facilitate a rapid reduction of symptoms in PD. The improvement in symptoms was maintained despite tapering the clonazepam prior to the end of the study. However, it was unclear if co-morbid depression influenced the treatment response to this regimen. In addition, a recent study in patients with major depression demonstrated that combined fluoxetine-clonazepam treatment resulted in a more rapid antidepressant response than the fluoxetine-placebo combination.
The proposed study will examine whether combined treatment with a clonazepam and paroxetine in patients with PD and comorbid depression will accelerate the onset of clinical response at both panic and depression symptoms. PD with comorbid major depression is a more severe disorder than PD alone. We will also examine whether the rapid and clinically meaningful benefits will be sustained until the end of the study, despite tapering off clonazepam at the midpoint of the study. If this study turns out to be the case combined SSRI-benzodiazepine treatment may become a standard initial therapeutic approach to PD and comorbid major depression.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Patients with a primary diagnosis of Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia or Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia according to DSM-IV criteria, and co-morbid major depressive disorder are eligible. Patients are required to have a weekly panic attack frequency of greater than or equal to 1/ week in the month prior to intake or a CGI score greater than 4 in the week prior to randomization. Patients with co-morbid major depressive disorder will be included provided that the onset of PD was earlier than the onset of the depressive disorder. The presence of co-morbid depression will be determined by using DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder, and HDRS scores will be in the moderately-to-severely depressed range (greater than 15).
- Subjects will be at least 18 years old. Those above age 65 years must be able to tolerate paroxetine starting dose of at least 20 mg daily and be without hepatic or renal impairment.
- Male and female subjects will be included.
- The patient must have given written informed consent prior to any study procedures.
- In addition, eligible patients must be in good physical health as confirmed by a complete physical exam (including normal vital signs), electrocardiogram, neurological exam, and routine laboratory tests of blood and urine.
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Patients with any serious or unstable medical disorder or condition that would preclude the administration of paroxetine or clonazepam (e.g. epilepsy, severe head injury, meningitis, allergic to either drug).
- Patients who would be unable to comply with study procedures or assessments.
- Patients who meet DSM-IV lifetime criteria for benzodiazepine abuse or dependence.
- Patients who are on other psychotropic drugs must have discontinued them for at least 1 week prior to randomization. Patients are ineligible who experience any current signs of symptoms of drug withdrawal during taper of unsuccessful medication.
- Patients who are currently at high risk for homicide or suicide.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Paroxetine | Drug | – |
| Clozapine | Drug | – |
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Mar 2008.
- Background: PubMed 11091930Apfeldorf WJ, Spielman LA, Cloitre M, Heckelman L, Shear MK. Morbidity of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in the clinical presentation of panic disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2000;12(2):78-84. doi: 10.1002/1520-6394(2000)12:23.0.CO;2-5.
- Background: PubMed 9433336Ballenger JC, Wheadon DE, Steiner M, Bushnell W, Gergel IP. Double-blind, fixed-dose, placebo-controlled study of paroxetine in the treatment of panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Jan;155(1):36-42. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.1.36.
- Background: PubMed 8422221Black DW, Wesner R, Bowers W, Gabel J. A comparison of fluvoxamine, cognitive therapy, and placebo in the treatment of panic disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993 Jan;50(1):44-50. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820130046008.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing Paroxetine and Clozapine in people with Panic Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Mar 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00031317, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Mar 2008.