D-cycloserine enhancement of exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder depends on the success of exposure sessions.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The evidence for the efficacy of D-cycloserine (DCS) for augmenting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders has been mixed. Guided by preclinical research and initial findings from a small-scale study involving humans, we tested the hypothesis that DCS enhancement of exposure therapy would be specific to successful exposure sessions.

Method

Medication-free adults with generalized social anxiety disorder (N = 145) received 50 mg of DCS or placebo 1 h before each of 5 exposure sessions that were part of a standardized 12-session group CBT protocol. Participants provided fear ratings at the beginning and just before the end of exposure exercises. Independent raters, blind to group assignment, administered the clinical global impression improvement and

SUBMITTER: Smits JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3747985 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature