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Placebo-controlled trial of moclobemide in social phobia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Franklin R. Schneier*
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
Deborah Goetz
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
Raphael Campeas
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
Randall Marshall
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
Brian Fallon
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
Michael R. Liebowitz
Affiliation:
Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
*
Franklin R. Schneier, Anxiety Disorders Clinic, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 722 West 168th Street. New York, NY 10032, USA. Fax: 212 923-2417; e-mail: fschneier@nyspi.cpmc.columbia.edu

Abstract

Background

Moclobemide, a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A, previously has been reported to have efficacy in the treatment of social phobia.

Method

Seventy-seven non-responders to one week of single-blind placebo were randomly assigned to moclobemide or placebo for eight weeks of double-blind treatment. Outcome was assessed by independent evaluator, treating psychiatrist and self-ratings. After eight weeks, patients who were at least minimally improved continued treatment for a further eight weeks.

Results

Intention-to-treat sample response rates at week 8 were 7/40 (17.5%) for the moclobemide group and 5/37 (13.5%) for placebo (NS). Moclobemide was significantly superior to placebo on 2 of 10 primary outcome measures. Moclobemide was well tolerated.

Conclusions

Moclobemide may have efficacy in the treatment of social phobia, but absence of significant differences on most primary outcome measures and small effect sizes for all outcome measures suggest that the magnitude of its clinical effect is small.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

This paper was presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, New York, May 1996.

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