Biological correlates of panic disorder with agoraphobia: practice perspectives for nurses

The literature on panic disorder is summarized with regard to epidemiological, environmental, cultural, psychological, family, and genetic factors. Laboratory provocation of anxiety is reviewed with emphasis on the noradrenergic model of panic from a biological perspective. Positron emission tomography results involving brain asymmetries in lactate-sensitive panic patients are discussed, as are the psychopharmacological agents currently effective in the treatment of panic disorder. It is suggested that psychiatric nurses base their clinical practice on a holistic understanding of treatment implications as they relate to an individual's broader functioning. Areas for future nursing research are also identified.