[Panic disorder and vertigo. On the psychopathologic differentiation between neurologic and psychiatric disease]

Seventy-six in- and outpatients seeking help for complaints of dizziness in a neurological clinic were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III (SCID). Neurological assessment included electrophysiological and otological examination. We established criteria to differentiate between dizziness as a symptom of panic disorder and dizziness as a symptom of neurological illness. Criteria for dizziness as a symptom of panic disorder are: adverse life events before the onset of dizziness, current comorbidity with depression, a high number of vegetative symptoms typical for panic attacks, a specific cluster of symptoms and little evidence of a neurological illness. We conclude that patients with complaints of dizziness often suffer from anxiety disorders. Thus we describe a vestibular subtype and contribute to the classification of panic disorder.