Am J Psychiatry 1982; 139:1043-1046
Copyright © 1982 by American Psychiatric Association
The dexamethasone suppression test in panic disorder and agoraphobia
GC Curtis, OG Cameron and RM Nesse
Reports that imipramine and phenelzine prevent panic attacks in agoraphobia
suggest the possibility that agoraphobia and/or panic disorder might be a
clinical manifestation of underlying depression. To test this hypothesis,
dexamethasone suppression tests (DSTs) were performed in 10 patients
meeting DSM-III criteria for agoraphobia with panic attacks, 6 for panic
disorder, and 4 whose diagnosis could have been either panic disorder or
agoraphobia except that another axis I disorder precluded such a diagnosis.
Abnormal DSTs were observed in only 3 patients and appeared to be
attributable to causes other than panic attacks or agoraphobia. The results
suggest that panic attacks and endogenous depression are separate disorders
and that the antipanic properties of imipramine and phenelzine are separate
from their antidepressant actions.
