The results showed a greater effect of paroxetine on panic attacks than reboxetine, while no differences for anticipatory anxiety and avoidance were found, suggesting a different role of noradrenaline and serotonin in the treatment of PD.

The effects of short treatments (7 days) with paroxetine and with reboxetine on the reactivity to inhalations of 35% carbon dioxide (CO2)/65% oxygen (O2) were compared in 28 patients with Panic Disorder who had positive responses to 35% CO2 inhalations. A double-blind, randomized design was applied. Each patient was given the 35% CO2 challenge on days 0 (before starting the treatment) and 7. Anxiety reactivity to CO2 decreased significantly with both drugs but the decrease was significantly stronger in the group treated with paroxetine. The rate of patients whose reactivity has reduced of at least 50% after 7 days was significantly higher in the group treated with paroxetine (10/14, 71.5%) than in the one treated with reboxetine (3/14, 21.5%). These results indicate that the modulation of the serotonergic system is more relevant for CO2 hyperreactivity than the modulation of the noradrenergic one.

Background: Adult patients with panic disorder (PD) show high levels of harm avoidance and anxiety sensitivity. Peculiar temperament profiles and high anxiety sensitivity have been proposed as developmental risk factors for PD in adult age. Since familial-genetic influences play a role both in PD and in anxiety sensitivity and temperament profiles, this study aims to investigate the possible association between family history of PD and peculiar temperament-character profiles or high anxiety sensitivity in offspring of patients with PD. Sampling and Methods: Thirty-four children of patients with PD with/without agoraphobia and 30 children of healthy subjects were compared. Temperament and character dimensions and anxiety sensitivity levels of children were obtained by the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory and the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Results: Children of patients with PD and children of healthy subjects differed neither in temperament and character dimensions nor in anxiety sensitivity levels. Conclusions: Our results show that family history of PD is not associated with peculiar temperament and character profiles or high anxiety sensitivity in children, suggesting that these factors may not be early expressions of familial vulnerability to PD. Since the sample is small and the study has a cross-sectional design, longitudinal studies in larger samples are warranted to confirm these findings and to clarify the role of anxiety sensitivity and temperament-character dimensions in the development of PD.

non-invasive RTG examinations and whether it is possible to premedicate these patients before such procedures with SSRI group medications. Patients and method: The first hypothesis was related to MRl as precipitating factor, regardless of whether the patients had psychiatric diagnosis or somatic complaints. The second hypothesis was whether a good psycho-pharmacological preparation before the examination could reduce the negative experiences of the patients and facilitate the MRI. This was a pilot study with a small sample and we are planning to continue the investigation since the findings indicated that paroxetin may be very useful, if not with all patients investigated on MRI, then in patients with psychiatric diagnosis.