Dysequilibrium and audiovestibular function in panic disorder: symptom profiles and test findings
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2026

A Vibrotactile Feedback Device for Seated Balance Assessment and Training
Published on: January 20, 2019
D A Sklare1, M B Stein, A M Pikus
1National Institute on Deafness, and Other Communication Disorders, Division of Communicative Sciences & Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Abstract:
Patients with panic disorder commonly report symptoms of dizziness and imbalance. We studied the relationship between objective measures of audiovestibular function, phenomenologic, and self-report measures of dysequilibrium and related somatic symptoms in a sample of panic disorder patients with and without agoraphobia, unselected for the complaint of dysequilibrium. Of seventeen patients evaluated by electronystagmography, 71 percent exhibited abnormal vestibular test findings. These latter patients had higher total anxiety ratings than patients without vestibular abnormalities. We conclude that patients with panic disorder warrant evaluation of audiovestibular function.
Related Concept Videos
Equilibrium and Balance
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder

