This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Effects of Clonidine in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder

Dennis S. Charney, MD; George R. Heninger, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986;43(11):1042-1054.

Abstract
• Clonidine hydrochloride, an ₂-adrenergic receptor agonist that decreases noradrenergic function, was administered to 21 healthy subjects and 26 drug-free patients with agoraphobia and panic attacks. Clonidine produced significantly greater decreases in plasma MHPG levels and sitting and standing diastolic blood pressure and significantly smaller increases in growth hormone levels and self-rated drowsiness in the patients. These findings indicate that the regulation of noradrenergic activity is aberrant in some patients with panic disorder, since a previous study demonstrated that patients with panic disorder exhibit increased plasma MHPG levels, blood pressure, and behavioral responses to the ₂-adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine. The increased dynamic range of noradrenergic activity observed as an increased sensitivity to both clonidine and yohimbine may reflect abnormalities in the regulatory inputs to noradrenergic neurons, or dysfunction in the ₂-adrenergic receptor effector coupling mechanism or the intracellular effector system.

Author Affiliations
From the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication April 1, 1986.

Reprint requests to Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park St, New Haven, CT 06508 (Dr Charney).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Noradrenergic Activity is Associated with Response to Pindolol in Aggressive Alzheimer's Disease Patients
Herrmann et al.
J Psychopharmacol 2004;18:215-220.
ABSTRACT  

Does the Brain Noradrenaline Network Mediate the Effects of the CO2 Challenge?
Bailey et al.
J Psychopharmacol 2003;17:252-259.
ABSTRACT  

Decreased Brain GABAA-Benzodiazepine Receptor Binding in Panic Disorder: Preliminary Results From a Quantitative PET Study
Malizia et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1998;55:715-720.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clinical Improvement With Fluoxetine Therapy and Noradrenergic Function in Patients With Panic Disorder
Coplan et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1997;54:643-648.
ABSTRACT  

Clomipramine and initial worsening in panic disorder: beyond the 'jitteriness syndrome'
Ramos et al.
J Psychopharmacol 1993;7:265-269.
ABSTRACT  

Blunted Growth Hormone Response to Clonidine in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Abelson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1991;48:157-162.
ABSTRACT  

Altered Central {alpha}2-Adrenoceptor Sensitivity in Panic Disorder
Nutt
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1989;46:165-169.
ABSTRACT  

Clonidine challenge testing of alpha-2-adrenoceptor function in man: the effects of mental illness and psychotropic medication
Glue et al.
J Psychopharmacol 1988;2:119-137.
ABSTRACT  

Alcohol Withdrawal and Noradrenergic Function
LINNOILA et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1987;107:875-889.
ABSTRACT  

Situational Panic Attacks: Behavioral, Physiologic, and Biochemical Characterization
Woods et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:365-375.
ABSTRACT  

Serotonin Function in Panic Disorders: The Effect of Intravenous Tryptophan in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Panic Disorder Before and During Alprazolam Treatment
Charney and Heninger
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1986;43:1059-1065.
ABSTRACT