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Hyperventilation: is it a cause of panic attacks?

G Hibbert1, D Pilsbury

  • 1University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Headington.

The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|December 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
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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.

Related Experiment Videos

  • 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.