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The influence of propranolol on the exposure in vivo of agoraphobics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Julian Hafner  and
Frank Milton
Julian Hafner*
Affiliation:
Kingston Hospital, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey
Frank Milton
Affiliation:
Kingston Hospital, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Julian Hafner, Clare House, St George's Hospital Medical School, Blackshaw Road, london SW17 0QT.
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Synopsis

This study examines the influence of 40 mg of propranolol on agoraphobics throughout 5-hour periods of exposure in vivo on 3 alternate days. Twenty-three patients were studied using a double-blind parallel design and 19 followed up for 3 months. The propranolol group spent significantly less time than the placebo group travelling alone in the month after treatment, and had improved significantly less on a measure of general symptoms at 3 months. The adverse influence of propranolol on treatment outcome appeared mainly due to a waning effect in the last hour of exposure. Attempts to measure coping with panics as an independent variable were largely unsuccessful.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , August 1977 , pp. 419 - 425
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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