Efficacy and Mechanisms of Psychosocial Treatments for Panic Disorder

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT04366011

Enrollment

Registered

2020-04-28

Start date

2011-11-30

Completion date

2015-10-31

Last updated

2020-04-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Panic Disorder

Brief summary

The aim of the present study is to a) determine the comparative efficacy of the brief capnometry-assisted respiratory therapy (CART) and standard cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and b) to determine moderators and mediators. With the data collected from the study, the investigators will test the following hypotheses: (a) CART will be as effective in treating PD/A as CBT, albeit in shorter time, b) patients with greater respiratory dysregulations, especially hyperventilation, at pretreatment will benefit more from CART, whereas patients with greater cognitive dysregulation will benefit more from CBT. CART, but not CBT, will result in reversal of hyperventilation.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT teaches a set of cognitive and somatic coping skills to manage panic and anxiety as patients conduct repeated exposure to feared situations and sensations.

BEHAVIORALCapnometry Assisted Respiratory Training (CART)

CART has four major treatment components: educating patients about the etiology and maintenance of PD according to a hyperventilation centered rationale, directing patients' attention to potentially aberrant respiratory patterns, instructing patients in respiratory control techniques, and instructing patients in home breathing exercises.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. A current DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV) diagnosis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia that is designated by the patient as the most important source of current distress 2. Patients must be willing to engage in exposure to fearful situations and sensations.

Exclusion criteria

Diagnostic

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Panic Disorder Symptoms Severity change	During treatment (weeks 1- 12) and 2-months and 6-months follow-ups	Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
End-tidal PCO2 (carbon dioxide partial pressure) change	during treatment (weeks 1-12), 2 -and 6 months follow-up	End-tidal PCO2

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026