Effect of treatment of panic disorder in patients with frequent ICD discharges: a pilot study

Anxiety and depression are common in patients receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). An association between the number of ICD discharges and mood disturbances has been found. We performed a pilot study in ICD patients with frequent ICD shocks having a comorbid diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and depression, in which we treated them with a combination of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and a behavior program. We hypothesized that this intervention would result in a decrease of ventricular premature beats or arrhythmias and possibly in a reduction of number of shocks. Four of 5 patients treated with such a combination therapy experienced no discharge of the ICD during a 6 month follow-up. The total number of ventricular premature beats decreased significantly after treatment. There was also clear psychiatric improvement. These results warrant larger scale studies on the pathophysiological mechanisms as well as treatment issues.