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Physiological and behavioral responses to minor stressors in offspring of patients with panic disorder
M Battaglia1, S Bajo, L F Strambi
1Istituto Scientifico H S. Raffaele, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, University of Milan School of Medicine, Italy.
Insights
Children of panic disorder patients show distinct behavioral and physiological responses to stress, suggesting early signs of inherited panic disorder risk. These early manifestations may indicate a transmitted liability to panic disorder.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Psychophysiology
- Psychiatric genetics
Background:
- Panic disorder is a debilitating condition with a significant genetic component.
- Understanding early risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.
- Previous research suggests a familial link, but specific early psychophysiological markers are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate behavioral and psychophysiological differences in children of panic disorder patients compared to controls.
- To identify potential early markers of transmitted liability to panic disorder.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen children of panic disorder patients and 16 controls were exposed to novel and anxiogenic situations.
- Behavioral observations, heart rate, respiratory rate, and salivary cortisol were measured.
- Data were analyzed to compare responses between the two groups.
Main Results:
- Children of panic disorder patients exhibited longer latency to verbal comment, less prosocial behavior, and increased distress and attachment upon arrival.
- Differences in attachment, distress, and exploration behaviors were observed during a movie.
- During anxiogenic scenes, these children showed increased behavioral inhibition and higher heart rate.
- No significant differences were found in autonomic modulation, respiratory rates, or cortisol secretion.
Conclusions:
- Distinct psychophysiological patterns, including behavioral inhibition and elevated heart rate in response to stress, may represent early manifestations of inherited risk for panic disorder.
- These findings highlight the importance of early behavioral and physiological assessments in children with a familial history of panic disorder.
Abstract:
Nineteen children born to patients with panic disorder and a comparison group of 16 children born to unaffected, non-psychiatric patient subjects exposed to novel and mildly stressful situations (visiting an unfamiliar place and watching a movie containing anxiogenic scenes) were assessed for their behaviors, heart rate, respiratory rate and salivary cortisol secretion. At arrival children born to patients with panic disorder had significantly longer latency of first spontaneous verbal comment, fewer prosocial behavior, and increased distress and attachment behavior. During the projection of the movie, children of the two groups differed for attachment, distress, and exploration behaviors. During the anxiogenic scenes children born to patients with panic disorder showed increased behavioral inhibition and higher heart rate. Autonomic modulation, respiratory rates and cortisol secretion were similar in the two groups. Some distinct psychophysiological patterns may constitute early manifestations of the transmitted liability to panic disorder.