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Towards a 'map' of panic: structure of the bodily symptoms
J L Pio-Abreu1, C Ramalheira, J M Valente
1Psychiatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra University Hospital, Portugal.
Abstract:
Despite the large amount of research on panic attacks according to DSM criteria, there are some inconsistencies between this and reports from clinical settings. Some naturalistic and non-standard studies are needed. The authors of the present study submitted a list of 24 bodily symptoms to 65 panic patients who had sought medical help. The results of principal-component analysis revealed five factors, four of which represent the forms described in clinical and epidemiological contexts: cephalo-vertiginous, cervico-respiratory, thoraco-cardiac and abdomino-digestive. Each of these factors is differentially related to some specific fearful anticipations, which may organize the symptoms in a body-related topographical way.
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