[The clinico-psychopathological characteristics of patients with panic disorders and the efficacy of clomipramine therapy].

The patients with panic affections (PA) treated with clomipramine hydrochloride (anafranil) were examined clinically and psychopathologically in relation to the drug response. PA diagnostic category was not uniform and may be subdivided into at least two subgroups, responders and non-responders to clomipramine hydrochloride. The responders had minor symptoms of PA, less severe vegetative impairment, though they were more seriously affected by depersonalization, maniophobia and agoraphobia. In this group the drug induced improvement and reduction of the attack frequency and severity within treatment month 1. Nonresponders had distinct vegetative symptomatology in the absence of agoraphobia. They failed clomipramine hydrochloride treatment as the panic attacks resumed, occasionally even with greater frequency.