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Hyperventilation: is it a cause of panic attacks?
1University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Headington.
The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|December 1, 1989
Summary
Hyperventilation does not cause panic attacks. In a study of panic attack patients, researchers found that hyperventilation was a consequence, not a cause, of panic, with lower anxiety ratings in hyperventilators.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Panic attacks are often associated with hyperventilation.
- The causal relationship between hyperventilation and panic attacks remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of hyperventilation in panic attacks using transcutaneous PCO2 monitoring.
- To determine if hyperventilation precedes or follows panic attacks.
Main Methods:
- 15 patients with panic disorder underwent transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2) monitoring during spontaneous panic attacks.
- Patients were assessed for usual panic symptoms and response to hyperventilation provocation tests.
Main Results:
- Seven patients (hyperventilators) showed a significant drop in PtcCO2 during panic attacks.
- Hyperventilators could not be distinguished by typical panic symptoms or provocation tests.
- No correlation was found between PCO2 levels and symptom severity.
- Anxiety ratings were lower in hyperventilators compared to non-hyperventilators.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support hyperventilation as a cause or significant contributor to panic attack severity.
- Hyperventilation appears to be a consequence of panic attacks rather than a primary cause.