caa a22 4500 465736807 CHVBK 20180323111757.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170327e19900901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF02245749 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF02245749 Serotonin function in panic disorder: a double blind placebo controlled study with fluvoxamine and ritanserin [Elektronische Daten] [Johan Den Boer, H. Westenberg] In order to evaluate serotonin (5-HT) function in panic disorder, a double blind placebo controlled study was conducted with ritanserin, a specific 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, and fluvoxamine, a selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, in 60 patients with panic disorder. Patients were treated for 8 weeks with 150 mg fluvoxamine, 20 mg ritanserin or placebo; these dose levels were reached after 1 week. In addition, as an index of 5-HT function in panic disorder, plasma concentration of β-endorphin, cortisol and 5-hydroxyindolacetic-acid (5-HIAA) were measured. Furthermore, 5-HT uptake in blood platelets was assessed. Noradrenergic function was assessed by measuring plasma MHPG concentration. In addition, plasma melatonin concentration was measured. Treatment with fluvoxamine resulted in a profound reduction in the number of panic attacks, followed by a decrease in avoidance behavior. Treatment with ritanserin appeared to be ineffective. During treatment no significant changes were observed in plasma concentrations of β-endorphin, cortisol, 5-HIAA and MHPG. With respect to 5-HT kinetics in blood platelets, a substantial increase in Km was observed after treatment with fluvoxamine, whereas Vmax decreased. After treatment with fluvoxamine, plasma concentration of melatonin was significantly increased, which suggests that melatonin synthesis is in part under serotonergic control. The findings of the present study do not support the hypothesis that 5-HT2 receptors are supersensitive in patients suffering from panic disorder, but allow no conclusions about the involvement of other 5-HT receptor subtypes. Springer-Verlag, 1990 Serotonin nationallicence Panic disorder nationallicence 5-HT2 receptors nationallicence Fluvoxamine nationallicence Ritanserin nationallicence Den Boer Johan Department of Biological Psychiatry, University Hospital Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, NL-3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands aut Westenberg H. Department of Biological Psychiatry, University Hospital Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, NL-3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands aut Psychopharmacology Springer-Verlag 102/1(1990-09-01), 85-94 0033-3158 102:1<85 1990 102 213 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02245749 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02245749 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Den Boer Johan Department of Biological Psychiatry, University Hospital Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, NL-3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Westenberg H. Department of Biological Psychiatry, University Hospital Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, NL-3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Psychopharmacology Springer-Verlag 102/1(1990-09-01), 85-94 0033-3158 102:1<85 1990 102 213 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer