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Related Experiment Videos

Somatotype in panic patients

A Bulbena1, R Martín-Santos, M Porta

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.

Anxiety
|January 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

People with an asthenic somatotype, characterized by a lower Quetelet index, are more likely to experience panic and agoraphobia. This body type may be linked to joint hypermobility syndrome, potentially explaining the association.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Anthropometry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Panic and agoraphobia are common anxiety disorders.
  • Somatotype, a measure of body build, has been hypothesized to relate to psychiatric conditions.
  • The asthenic somatotype is characterized by leanness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between asthenic somatotype and panic/agoraphobia.
  • To explore potential mediating factors in this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control study comparing 99 panic/agoraphobia patients with 163 controls (99 psychiatric, 64 medical).
  • Somatotype assessed using the Quetelet index (age and sex-adjusted).
  • Association with joint hypermobility and age was examined.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in raw weight, height, or Quetelet index between cases and controls.
  • A higher proportion of panic/agoraphobia cases (33.3%) exhibited an asthenic somatotype compared to psychiatric (19.2%) and medical controls (18.7%).
  • Asthenic somatotype was associated with younger age and joint hypermobility.

Conclusions:

  • An asthenic somatotype is associated with an increased risk of panic and agoraphobia.
  • Joint hypermobility syndrome may mediate the relationship between asthenic somatotype and panic disorder.
  • Further research into the role of connective tissue disorders in anxiety is warranted.

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