TY - JOUR
T1 - Recurrence of panic disorder during pregnancy
T2 - A 7-year naturalistic follow-up study
AU - Dannon, Pinhas N.
AU - Iancu, Iulian
AU - Lowengrub, Katherine
AU - Grunhaus, Leon
AU - Kotler, Moshe
PY - 2006/5
Y1 - 2006/5
N2 - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this naturalistic follow-up study was to examine the effect of pregnancy as a predicting factor of relapse in patients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Eighty-five female patients with PD (between the ages of 20 and 35 years) were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether the onset of PD had been during pregnancy (PD-pregnancy [PD-P]) or whether the onset of PD had been while not pregnant (PD-nonpregnant [PD-NP]). Patients were treated with paroxetine up to 40 mg/day for 12 months, and the full responders were tapered off their medication and were monitored for an additional 6 years. Treatment response was assessed using the Panic Self-Questionnaire (PSQ) with full response being defined as "0" panic attacks. Assessments using the PSQ were made at baseline and every 4 weeks for the first twelve months. During the 6-year drug-free follow-up period, patients were assessed using the PSQ every 3 months. Relapse was defined as the occurrence of a panic attack in any phase of the study. The effect of group membership (PD-P vs. PD-NP) and new pregnancies as risk factors for relapse were explored. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients completed the 6-year follow-up, and each of the study groups (PD-P and PD-NP) was composed of 34 patients. Twenty-six of 34 (76.6%) patients in the PD-P group had another pregnancy, and 15/26 (57%) in this group experienced a relapse during the subsequent pregnancy. Three of 8 (37%) PD-P patients experienced a relapse without pregnancy. Among the second group (PD-NP), 18/34 (52.9%) became pregnant and 8/18 (44.4%) experienced a relapse at the time of pregnancy, whereas 4/16 (25%) experienced a relapse while not pregnant. Patients who relapsed during pregnancy had a more severe relapse (as defined by the severity of the PSQ score) compared with nonpregnant relapsers. CONCLUSIONS: Our naturalistic follow-up study demonstrated that pregnancy might confer an increased risk of relapse in PD. Moreover, when compared with patients who develop PD while not pregnant (PD-NP), patients who develop PD during pregnancy (PD-P) appear to have a higher risk of relapse at the time of a subsequent pregnancy (P < 0.001).
AB - OBJECTIVES: The aim of this naturalistic follow-up study was to examine the effect of pregnancy as a predicting factor of relapse in patients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Eighty-five female patients with PD (between the ages of 20 and 35 years) were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether the onset of PD had been during pregnancy (PD-pregnancy [PD-P]) or whether the onset of PD had been while not pregnant (PD-nonpregnant [PD-NP]). Patients were treated with paroxetine up to 40 mg/day for 12 months, and the full responders were tapered off their medication and were monitored for an additional 6 years. Treatment response was assessed using the Panic Self-Questionnaire (PSQ) with full response being defined as "0" panic attacks. Assessments using the PSQ were made at baseline and every 4 weeks for the first twelve months. During the 6-year drug-free follow-up period, patients were assessed using the PSQ every 3 months. Relapse was defined as the occurrence of a panic attack in any phase of the study. The effect of group membership (PD-P vs. PD-NP) and new pregnancies as risk factors for relapse were explored. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients completed the 6-year follow-up, and each of the study groups (PD-P and PD-NP) was composed of 34 patients. Twenty-six of 34 (76.6%) patients in the PD-P group had another pregnancy, and 15/26 (57%) in this group experienced a relapse during the subsequent pregnancy. Three of 8 (37%) PD-P patients experienced a relapse without pregnancy. Among the second group (PD-NP), 18/34 (52.9%) became pregnant and 8/18 (44.4%) experienced a relapse at the time of pregnancy, whereas 4/16 (25%) experienced a relapse while not pregnant. Patients who relapsed during pregnancy had a more severe relapse (as defined by the severity of the PSQ score) compared with nonpregnant relapsers. CONCLUSIONS: Our naturalistic follow-up study demonstrated that pregnancy might confer an increased risk of relapse in PD. Moreover, when compared with patients who develop PD while not pregnant (PD-NP), patients who develop PD during pregnancy (PD-P) appear to have a higher risk of relapse at the time of a subsequent pregnancy (P < 0.001).
KW - Follow-up
KW - Panic disorder
KW - Paroxetine
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Relapse
KW - Risk factor
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33746411164&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.WNF.0000220821.73017.14
DO - 10.1097/01.WNF.0000220821.73017.14
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C2 - 16772811
AN - SCOPUS:33746411164
SN - 0362-5664
VL - 29
SP - 132
EP - 137
JO - Clinical Neuropharmacology
JF - Clinical Neuropharmacology
IS - 3
ER -