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Lactate vulnerability of remitted panic patients
Psychiatry Research
|February 1, 1985
Summary
Lactate infusions can still trigger panic attacks in some patients even after they have recovered from panic disorder and stopped medication. This suggests lactate vulnerability might be a persistent trait in panic disorder patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Sodium lactate infusions are known to induce panic attacks in a high percentage of patients with active panic disorder.
- The persistence of this lactate-induced panic response in patients who have achieved remission is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether lactate vulnerability persists in patients with panic disorder who are in remission and off medication.
- To explore the potential of lactate vulnerability as a trait characteristic of panic disorder.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 13 patients with panic disorder who underwent three sequential sodium lactate infusions.
- Infusions were administered before treatment, during treatment with tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), and after remission while unmedicated (1-6 months).
Main Results:
- Three out of 13 remitted, unmedicated patients experienced panic attacks during the third infusion.
- In contrast, none of the patients panicked when infused while on TCA, and 7 out of 12 panicked at the pretreatment infusion.
Conclusions:
- Lactate vulnerability can persist in panic disorder patients who are clinically well and unmedicated.
- The findings suggest that lactate vulnerability may represent a trait characteristic of panic disorder, warranting further investigation.