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Related Experiment Videos

Increased sympathetic response to standing in panic disorder.

Nick J Coupland1, Susan J Wilson, John P Potokar

  • 1Psychopharmacology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University Walk, Bristol, UK. nc2@ualberta.ca

Psychiatry Research
|May 22, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Patients with panic disorder (PD) exhibit heightened cardiovascular sympathetic reactivity, evidenced by increased blood pressure (BP) overshoot during standing. This response normalized with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment, suggesting baroreflex dysfunction in PD.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Autonomic Nervous System Function
  • Psychiatric Disorders

Background:

  • Autonomic function is implicated in panic disorder (PD), but rapid blood pressure (BP) dynamics during autonomic reflex testing remain understudied.
  • Previous research has not utilized non-invasive beat-by-beat BP monitoring for assessing these rapid BP changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cardiovascular sympathetic reactivity in panic disorder (PD) patients using beat-by-beat BP monitoring during an orthostatic challenge.
  • To compare BP dynamics during standing in PD patients versus healthy and social phobia control groups.
  • To preliminarily assess the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment on BP overshoot in PD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized non-invasive finger photoplethysmography for beat-by-beat BP monitoring.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessed cardiovascular response during an orthostatic challenge (immediate response to standing).
  • Compared BP overshoot in panic disorder (n=56), social phobia (n=28), and healthy control (n=56) groups.

    • Main Results:

    • Panic disorder patients demonstrated a significantly increased diastolic BP overshoot compared to both healthy and social phobia control groups.
    • Preliminary analysis indicated that SSRI treatment significantly reduced the BP overshoot in PD patients towards normal levels.
    • Findings support the hypothesis of increased sympathetic reactivity in PD.

    Conclusions:

    • Panic disorder is associated with heightened sympathetic baroreflex function, indicated by exaggerated BP overshoot upon standing.
    • This sympathetic hyperreactivity may play a role in the pathophysiology of panic disorder.
    • SSRI treatment appears to modulate this autonomic dysfunction, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.