Effect of a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor in agoraphobia with panic attacks. A double-blind comparison of zimeldine, imipramine and placebo.

A double-blind clinical trial of zimeldine, a potent inhibitor of central serotonin reuptake, versus imipramine and placebo was carried out on 44 patients suffering from agoraphobia with panic attacks. Zimeldine was a superior treatment on all rating scales other than a global rating scale which did not reach statistically significant superiority. Imipramine was not shown to be superior to placebo. The implications of these results for further research on the underlying pathophysiology of agoraphobia with panic attacks are discussed.