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Physiologic instability in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder
F H Wilhelm1, W Trabert, W T Roth
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|April 12, 2001
Summary
Panic disorder is linked to unstable breathing patterns, even without triggers. This study found greater respiratory variability in panic disorder patients compared to generalized anxiety disorder and control groups.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Anxiety Disorders
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Panic attacks involve physiological activation.
- Panic disorder may feature physiological fluctuations without external triggers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that panic disorder is characterized by physiological variability.
- To compare physiological variability in panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and control groups.
Main Methods:
- Complex demodulation analysis of electrodermal, cardiovascular, and respiratory measures.
- 30-minute quiet sitting recordings for 16 panic disorder patients, 15 generalized anxiety disorder patients, and 19 controls.
Main Results:
- Panic disorder patients exhibited greater tidal volume instability than other groups.
- Both patient groups showed greater instability in several respiratory measures (e.g., pCO2, respiratory rate) compared to controls.
- Breathlessness was elevated in panic disorder patients.
Conclusions:
- Respiration is notably unstable in panic disorder.
- Respiratory physiology is crucial for understanding panic disorder.
- Further research is needed to determine if findings are state or trait characteristics.