Learn to forget: Does post-exposure administration of d-cycloserine enhance fear extinction in agoraphobia?

Publication date: Available online 11 August 2018Source: Journal of Psychiatric ResearchAuthor(s): L. Pyrkosch, J. Mumm, I. Alt, L. Fehm, T. Fydrich, J. Plag, A. StröhleAbstractThe use of d-cycloserine (DCS) to augment exposure based therapy for anxiety disorders has shown mixed, although overall positive effects. Aim of the present study was to examine post-exposure administration of DCS in patients with agoraphobia with or without panic disorder. 73 patients with agoraphobia (with or without panic disorder) were treated with 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) including 3 exposures. Following successful exposure patients were given double blind either placebo or 50 mg of DCS. Primary outcome criterion was change in the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) between CBT session t1, t4 (+∼2 months), t10 (+∼3 months) und t11 (+∼4 months). During the course of CBT the patients' symptomatology decreased significantly as measured by primary and secondary outcome criteria, however, without an additional benefit for DCS treated patients. Exploratory sub-group analyses for severely ill patients and patients with high anxiety and strong habituation during exposure showed that DCS administration was associated with increased improvement during the 1-month follow-up period (t10 - t11) with medium to large effect sizes (range in effect size η2p from .06 to .25). Our study results are consistent with recent research on DCS, indicating a beneficial augmentative effect f...
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research