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Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
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Anxiety: Overview
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Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
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Preparedness and Phobias
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Human fear responses to certain stimuli, such as darkness, heights, deep water, and blood, can often arise despite the absence of direct negative experiences. This phenomenon is rooted in evolutionary psychology, which posits that humans have developed a predisposition to fear stimuli that historically posed significant survival threats. This predisposition, known as preparedness, suggests that early humans who developed a fear of potentially dangerous entities, such as venomous snakes and...
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Neurocircuitry and Neuroanatomy in Panic Disorder: A Systematic Review.
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Fear Circuits in Panic Disorder: An Update.
Peter Kyriakoulis1, Rafael Christophe da Rocha Freire2
1Department of Psychiatry, Positive Psychology Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3931, Australia.
Alpha Psychiatry
|July 9, 2025
Summary
This review clarifies the neurobiology of panic disorder (PD), detailing the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroanatomy
Background:
- Animal models have advanced understanding of panic disorder (PD) mechanisms and etiology.
- Key neurobiological aspects of PD require further clarification.
- This review focuses on the neuroanatomical and pathophysiological basis of PD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To consolidate current knowledge on the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of panic disorder.
- To highlight recent advances in understanding the neural underpinnings of PD.
- To emphasize the role of fear circuits in PD pathophysiology.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review of recent literature on PD neurobiology and neuroanatomy.
- Focus on fear circuits, integrating findings from preclinical and clinical studies.
- Synthesis of information on implicated brain regions and their functions in PD.
Main Results:
- Detailed delineation of the fear circuitry implicated in panic disorder.
- Emphasis on the roles of the amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, insula, and prefrontal cortex.
- These regions mediate pathological fear responses in PD.
Conclusions:
- Continued human research is crucial for refining PD fear circuitry models.
- Insights from human studies can guide the development of evidence-based therapies.
- Therapeutic strategies should aim to restore homeostasis disrupted by fear circuitry activation.

