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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Gastrointestinal Motility Monitor (GIMM)
Published on: December 1, 2010
Colon motility during a panic attack
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas, USA. phyman@kumc.edu
Objective:
To document the temporal relationship between a panic attack and high amplitude propagating contractions.
Methods:
Colon manometry was used to discriminate between functional defecation problems and colon neuromuscular disease. By chance, the patent developed a panic attack during the test session.
Results:
Coincident with the panic attack, there was a continuous series of high amplitude propagating contractions. There were 15 high amplitude propagating contractions over 45 minutes, initially at a rate of 4 per 10 minutes, gradually slowing to 1.5 per 10 minutes.
Conclusions:
These data may explain the cause for gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea in some patients with panic attacks.
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