Effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy on panic disorder

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the cognitive behavior therapy to panic disorder. This research includes three studies.In the first study, the standardized cognitive behavior therapy program for panic disorder was developed based upon the results of the cognitive behavioral treatment with fifteen panic order patients.In the second part of this investigation, the effectiveness of the standardized cognitive behavior therapy for manic disorder patients were investigated from the viewpoints of pre- and post-treatment comparison, and the comparison with waiting list control group. Furthermore, effectiveness of exposure and cognitive restructuring, which are the major therapeutic components of the cognitive behavior therapy, was investigated using dismantling experimental design. As results, the standardized cognitive behavior therapy was effective to decrease many facets of symptoms of panic disorder. Furthermore, exposure was revealed to be effective to decrease agoraphobia, and cognitive restructuring was effective to decrease subjective anxiety.In the third part of this research, the effectiveness of the cognitive behavior therapy was investigated in terms of physiological change. The change of glucose metabolism in brain was investigated before and after the standardized cognitive behavior therapy using PET. After the cognitive behavioral treatment, significant decrease of glucose metabolism was found in hippocampus, cerebellum, pons, and putamen, which function as triggers of fear network, and the significant increase of glucose metabolism was found in brain regions which strengthen the ability of the medial prefrontal cortex to inhibit the amygdale. CBT program was an effective treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia in terms of psychological and physiological change.The effectiveness of the cognitive behavior therapy for panic disorder patients were discussed from the clinical psychological points of view.