[Diagnostic importance of evoked skin sympathetic potentials in panic disorders]

Panic disorder (PD) is a state characterized by a complex of psychiatric and autonomic symptoms. The high frequency of autonomic symptoms in PD suggests the necessity of evaluation of the autonomic nervous system state. For this purpose, author used the method of evoked skin sympathetic potentials (ESSP). ESSP per se is a result of the reflex which includes three patterns: afferent, central and efferent. Patients with DSM-IV diagnosis of PD were stratified into three nosological groups: neurotic, personality disorders and schizotypal pathology. A study of ESSP revealed the significant increase of latency in all groups regardless of their mental status as compared to the controls. A role of central mechanisms (the increase of time of the central delay) appears to be the most plausible in the genesis of the ESSP latency increase in PD.