Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of inositol treatment for panic disorder.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Because they found in an earlier study that inositol, an important intracellular second-messenger precursor, was effective against depression in open and double-blind trials, the authors studied its effectiveness against panic disorder.

METHOD:

Twenty-one patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week, random-assignment crossover treatment trial of 12 g/day of inositol.

RESULTS:

The frequency and severity of panic attacks and the severity of agoraphobia declined significantly more after inositol than after placebo administration. Side effects were minimal.

CONCLUSIONS:

The authors conclude that inositol's efficacy, the absence of significant side effects, and the fact that inositol is a natural component of the human diet make it a potentially attractive therapeutic for panic disorder.

• Authors: J Benjamin, J Levine, M Fux, A Aviv, D Levy, R H Belmaker
• Journal: The American journal of psychiatry (Am J Psychiatry) Vol. 152 Issue 7 Pg. 1084-6 (Jul 1995) ISSN: 0002-953X [Print] United States
• PMID: 7793450 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Placebos
• Inositol

Topics

• Adult
• Agoraphobia (diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
• Cross-Over Studies
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Humans
• Inositol (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Panic Disorder (diagnosis, drug therapy, psychology)
• Placebos
• Severity of Illness Index
• Treatment Outcome