scholarly journals Panic attacks simulate presence of somatic illnesses

2009 ◽  
Vol 62 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Latas ◽  
Ivan Soldatovic ◽  
Marko Stamenovic ◽  
Vladan Starcevic
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Somatic Illness ◽  
Specific Association ◽  
Cardio Vascular ◽  
Relationship Of

Introduction. Panic attacks are characterized with sudden attacks of anxiety with numerous somatic symptoms, such as palpitations, tachycardia, tachypnea, nausea, vertigo. The objective of this study was to analyze symptoms of panic attacks in patients with panic disorder, especially, to determine the specific relationship of somatic and neurological symptoms of panic attacks in boundaries of somatic systems. Material and methods. The study sample consisted of 97 patients with primary diagnosis of panic disorder, without any acute, severe and unstable somatic illness. The presence and frequency of symptoms of panic attacks were estimated by the Panic Disorder Questionnaire. Results. The study results indicate that the most frequent symptoms of panic attacks were cardiological signs (heart pounding or racing) and trembling, followed by unsteady and fainting feeling symptoms, sweating, respiratory symptoms and gastroenterological symptoms. The results of correlation analyses indicate that symptoms of panic attacks classified into cardio-vascular, gastro-enterological, respiratory and neuro-otological systems show statistically significant correlations. Conclusion. The results of analyses of symptoms of panic attacks point to their intercorrelation. This specific association of the symptoms, if they are examined on their own in the patients, could lead to false clinical manifestation of some somatic illness. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze adequately and make the proper differential diagnosis of patients with panic disorder.

scholarly journals Fear of body symptoms and sensations in patients with panic disorders and patients with somatic diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 659-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Latas ◽  
Danilo Obradovic ◽  
Marina Pantic
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
General Population ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Somatic Illness ◽  
History Of ◽  
Body Sensations ◽  
High Level

Introduction. A cognitive model of aetiology of panic disorder assumes that people who experience frequent panic attacks have tendencies to catastrophically interpret normal and benign somatic sensations - as signs of serious illness. This arise the question: is this cognition specific for patients with panic disorder and in what intensity it is present in patients with serious somatic illness and in healthy subjects. Objective. The aim of the study was to ascertain the differences in the frequency and intensity of 'catastrophic' cognitions related to body sensations, and to ascertain the differences in the frequency and intensity of anxiety caused by different body sensations all related to three groups of subjects: a sample of patients with panic disorder, a sample of patients with history of myocardial infarction and a sample of healthy control subjects from general population. Methods. Three samples are observed in the study: A) 53 patients with the diagnosis of panic disorder; B) 25 patients with history of myocardial infarction; and C) 47 healthy controls from general population. The catastrophic cognitions were assessed by the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ) and the Body Sensations Questionnaire (BSQ). These questionnaires assess the catastrophic thoughts associated with panic and agoraphobia (ACQ) and the fear of body sensations (BSQ). All study subjects answered questionnaires items, and the scores of the answers were compared among the groups. Results. The results of the study suggest that: 1) There is no statistical difference in the tendency to catastrophically interpret body sensations and therefore to induce anxiety in the samples of healthy general population and patients with history of myocardial infarction; 2) The patients with panic disorder have a statistically significantly more intensive tendency to catastrophically interpret benign somatic symptoms and therefore to induce a high level of anxiety in comparison to the sample of patients with the history of serious somatic illness (myocardial infarction) and the sample of healthy general population. Conclusion. The tendency to catastrophically interpret benign somatic symptoms and therefore to induce a high level of anxiety in patients with panic disorder, confirms the cognitive aetiology model of panic disorder and suggests that it should be the focus of prophylactic and therapeutic management of patients with panic disorder.

scholarly journals Coronavirus disease-19 Pandemic-Induced Panic Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (T3) ◽  
pp. 237-239
Author(s):  
Muhammad Surya Husada ◽  
Mustafa M. Amin ◽  
Munawir Saragih
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Panic Attack ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Psychosocial Burden ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Common Diagnosis ◽  
The Individual

Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerging infectious disease which is found to be caused by SARS-2. COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide causing a rapidly increasing number of mental disorders cases, primarily anxiety disorder. Since majority of panic disorder patients are present with great anxiety in response to their physical or respiratory symptoms, support and encouragement from psychiatrist or therapist are fundamental to alleviate the severity of the symptoms. Case Report: We reported a case of COVID-19 induced panic disorder in a woman, 52 years old, batak tribe who started to experience multiple panic attacks since one of her family members was confirmed to be Covid-10 positive. Conclusion: In general, panic disorder is a common diagnosis, but this case appeared to be interesting as it is induced by COVID-19 pandemic. As in this case, the individual who experienced multiple panic attack is not even a COVID-19 patient but has one of her family member affected by the virus. A wide body of evidence has shown that this pandemic massively contributes to worsening of psychosocial burden in nationwide.

Sleep panic attacks in patients with panic disorder: the association with major depression

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
MY Ağargün ◽  
H Kara
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Panic Disorders ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of sleep panic to major depression in patients with panic disorder. We found that the patients with sleep panic had a higher prevalence of major depression than subjects of other panic disorders.

The Indirect Effect of Anxiety Sensitivity in the Relationship Between Panic Symptoms and Panic Severity

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Talkovsky ◽  
Peter J. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Symptom Intensity ◽  
Bodily Sensations ◽  
Panic Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship

The cognitive model of panic (Clark, 1988) suggests that panic attacks result from the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations rather than the sensations themselves. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is fear of anxious bodily sensations (Reiss, 1991) and has implications in panic development, maintenance, and severity. Although previous work has demonstrated that AS amplifies symptoms in response to provocations, few have analyzed the role of AS in the relationship between panic symptoms and panic disorder severity. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if AS, a cognitive risk for panic, has an indirect effect on the association between self-reported panic symptoms and panic severity, both self-reported and clinician-assessed, among 67 treatment-seeking individuals with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Data were analyzed using the bootstrapped conditional process indirect effects model. Results indicated that the overall total mediational effect on Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) was significant with evidence of partial mediation. The direct effect of Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) on PDSS remained significant although there was also a significant indirect effect of BAI via AS. Results showed a similar relationship when Clinician Severity Rating was the outcome. Moderation analyses were not significant. Therefore, AS was a significant partial mediator of the relationship between symptom intensity and panic severity, whether clinician-rated or self-reported. This investigation provides support for the importance of AS in panic, highlighting its importance but suggesting that it is not sufficient to explain panic disorder.

scholarly journals Nocturnal panic attacks

2002 ◽  
Vol 60 (3B) ◽  
pp. 717-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana L. Lopes ◽  
Antonio E. Nardi ◽  
Isabella Nascimento ◽  
Alexandre M. Valença ◽  
Walter A Zin
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Sleep Apnea Syndrome ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Apnea Syndrome

The panic-respiration connection has been presented with increasing evidences in the literature. We report three panic disorder patients with nocturnal panic attacks with prominent respiratory symptoms, the overlapping of the symptoms with the sleep apnea syndrome and a change of the diurnal panic attacks, from spontaneous to situational pattern. The implication of these findings and awareness to the distinct core of the nocturnal panic attacks symptoms may help to differentiate them from sleep disorders and the search for specific treatment.

scholarly journals Respiratory manifestations of panic disorder: causes, consequences and therapeutic implications

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 698-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Sardinha ◽  
Rafael Christophe da Rocha Freire ◽  
Walter Araújo Zin ◽  
Antonio Egidio Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Respiratory Physiology ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Hyperventilation Syndrome ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Challenge Tests ◽  
Respiratory Challenge ◽  
The Relationship

Multiple respiratory abnormalities can be found in anxiety disorders, especially in panic disorder (PD). Individuals with PD experience unexpected panic attacks, characterized by anxiety and fear, resulting in a number of autonomic and respiratory symptoms. Respiratory stimulation is a common event during panic attacks. The respiratory abnormality most often reported in PD patients is increased CO2 sensitivity, which has given rise to the hypothesis of fundamental abnormalities in the physiological mechanisms that control breathing in PD. There is evidence that PD patients with dominant respiratory symptoms are more sensitive to respiratory tests than are those who do not manifest such symptoms, and that the former group constitutes a distinct subtype. Patients with PD tend to hyperventilate and to panic in response to respiratory stimulants such as CO2, triggering the activation of a hypersensitive fear network. Although respiratory physiology seems to remain normal in these subjects, recent evidence supports the idea that they present subclinical abnormalities in respiration and in other functions related to body homeostasis. The fear network, composed of the hippocampus, the medial prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and its brain stem projections, might be oversensitive in PD patients. This theory might explain why medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy are both clearly effective. Our aim was to review the relationship between respiration and PD, addressing the respiratory subtype of PD and the hyperventilation syndrome, with a focus on respiratory challenge tests, as well as on the current mechanistic concepts and the pharmacological implications of this relationship.

scholarly journals Cardio-respiratory symptoms in panic disorder: a contribution from cognitive-behaviour therapy

2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-308
Author(s):  
Anna Lucia Spear King ◽  
Adriana Cardoso de Oliveira e Silva ◽  
Alexandre Martins Valencça ◽  
Antonio Egidio Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Fear Of Bodily Sensations ◽  
Group 1

Objective: To compare patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) associated with the medication with patients treated only with medication and verify the behaviour of the cardio-respiratory symptoms of both groups. Methods: Randomized sample in the Psychiatry Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, divided in two groups of 25 participants each. Group 1 undertook 10 weekly sessions of CBT with one hour of duration each together with medication. Group 2, Control, were administered medication that only consisted of tricyclic anti-depressants and selective inhibitors of the re-uptake of serotonin. Evaluation instruments were applied at the beginning and to the end of the interventions. Results: According to the applied scales, group 1 showed statistically more significant results than group 2, with: reduction of panic attacks, cardio-respiratory symptoms, anticipatory anxiety, agoraphobia avoidance and fear of bodily sensations. Conclusion: Exposures (in vivo and interoceptive), especially for induction symptom exercises and relaxation, were considered essential to prepare patients with panic disorder to handle future cardio-respiratory symptoms and panic attacks with agoraphobia.

The Relationship Between Catastrophic Cognitions and the Components of Panic Disorder

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Robinson ◽  
Max Birchwood
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Degree Of Belief ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
The Relationship

Cognitive models of panic postulate that panic attacks arise from the catastrophic misinterpretation of somatic symptoms. Hitherto, research has concentrated on the link between cognitions and the somatic sensations experienced during panic attacks; little attention has been directed towards the relationship between cognitions and other critical components of Panic Disorder (e.g., avoidance behavior). Fifty-eight patients presenting with Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia (DSM-III-R) rated their degree of belief in nine “core” catastrophic cognitions and completed self-report measures of the critical symptoms of Panic Disorder. Results demonstrated a link between cognitions of physical catastrophe and somatic symptoms. Additionally, strong links were detected between the cognitions of losing control and “experiential” symptoms, between the cognition of insanity and depressive symptoms, and between the cognition of social embarrassment and avoidance behavior. Implications for the cognitive model and treatment of Panic Disorder are discussed.

Panic Disorder With Nocturnal Panic Attacks: Symptoms and Comorbidities

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökhan Sarísoy ◽  
Ömer Böke ◽  
Ali C. Arík ◽  
Ahmet R. Şahin
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Beck Depression Inventory ◽  
Panic Attack ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Symptom Checklist ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nocturnal panic attacks and comorbidities, clinical variables and panic attack symptoms. One hundred and six consecutive patients with DSM-IV panic disorder were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence of nocturnal panic attacks. Comorbidities were diagnosed with the help of SCID-I and SCID-II. The groups were compared using the Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Symptom Checklist. Nocturnal panic attacks were not related to comorbidities or age at the onset of the disease. The scores from the Beck Depression Inventory, general scores from the Symptom Checklist, somatization, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity and anger-hostility sub-scale scores were higher in the nocturnal panic attack group. Patients with nocturnal panic attacks experience more frequent respiratory symptoms, suggesting that nocturnal panic attacks may be related to respiratory symptoms. Our findings demonstrate that patients with nocturnal panic attacks have more respiratory symptoms of panic, depressive and other psychiatric symptoms than the no nocturnal panic group.

Panic disorder following torture by suffocation is associated with predominantly respiratory symptoms

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN BOUWER ◽  
DAN STEIN
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
History Of ◽  
Post Traumatic

Background. We previously reported that in panic disorder a history of near-suffocation is associated with predominantly respiratory panic attacks. It might be hypothesized that the near-suffocation experienced in certain kinds of torture is also associated with the development of predominantly respiratory panic attacks.Methods. A sample of patients who had experienced torture (N=14) was drawn from an Anxiety Disorders Clinic in South Africa. Subjects were questioned about symptoms of panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.Results. Patients with a history of torture by suffocation were more likely than other patients to complain of predominantly respiratory symptoms during panic attacks. These patients also demonstrated higher levels of depressive symptoms.Conclusions. While various interpretations of the data can be made, it is possible that torture by suffocation is associated with a specific symptomatic profile. Were such an association to be replicated, this would perhaps support the suffocation alarm hypothesis of panic disorder and provide evidence that specific environmental factors play a role in the development of this alarm.

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