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Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) Dec 2019In panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP), exploration and interpretation of avoided and conflicted emotions and fantasies surrounding anxiety are thought to... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
In panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP), exploration and interpretation of avoided and conflicted emotions and fantasies surrounding anxiety are thought to promote panic-specific reflective functioning (PSRF), which drives panic disorder improvements. Patient emotional expression within a session may be a marker of engaged processing and experiencing of affectively charged material. Degree of in-session expressed emotion, indicating both verbal and nonverbal emotions, was examined across three early therapy sessions for prediction of subsequent outcomes. We further investigated whether personality disorder traits, theorized to relate to constricted (obsessive-compulsive) or heightened (borderline) emotions, moderated this relationship. Emotional expression in Sessions 2, 5, and 10 of a 24-session PFPP protocol was assessed by blinded observers in 44 patients randomized to PFPP in a two-site randomized controlled trial of psychotherapies for panic disorder. Robust regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between average emotional expression across the measured sessions and symptom and PSRF changes subsequent to the sampled sessions, as well as moderation by personality disorder criteria, controlling for early outcomes. Higher levels of emotional expression across the early sessions predicted greater subsequent symptom and PSRF improvement. Elevations in expression of grief/sadness drove the symptomatic finding. Patients meeting more borderline criteria experienced a smaller and potentially negative relationship between emotional expression and symptom improvement. Emotional expression in PFPP may be an indicator of positive therapy process for patients without comorbid borderline personality traits, predicting prospective improvements in both a key mediator (PSRF) and symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Panic Disorder; Personality; Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30869969
DOI: 10.1037/pst0000215 -
BioPsychoSocial Medicine May 2021Graves' disease is characterized by hyperthyroidism and its symptoms often overlap with those of panic disorder, which may make it difficult to distinguish between the...
BACKGROUND
Graves' disease is characterized by hyperthyroidism and its symptoms often overlap with those of panic disorder, which may make it difficult to distinguish between the two conditions. In this report, we describe how proper diagnosis of thyroid disease in patients with mental illness can lead to appropriate treatment.
CASE PRESENTATION
We encountered a 34-year-old woman in whom thyroid crisis from Graves' disease was misdiagnosed as panic attack. The patient was being managed as a case of panic disorder and bipolar disorder in a psychiatric outpatient setting. About 6 months before presentation she had lost about 16 kg in weight, and a month before presentation she developed several unpleasant symptoms as her condition worsened. Several weeks before she had had severe palpitations, tachycardia, and discomfort in her throat. She became unable to eat solids, ate only yogurt and gelatin, and felt it difficult to take psychiatric drugs. She visited our emergency outpatient department on a Sunday morning, presenting with nausea, severe tachycardia, fever, and restlessness with anxiety. We treated her as panic disorder with fever, but noted proptosis and considered the possibility of Graves' disease. Thyroid function tests were performed even though data from her clinic was not available because it was a weekend. Because there was no improvement in her condition after her first visit, she returned to our hospital early the next morning. We had misdiagnosed her as having severe panic attacks due to panic disorder, and after a diazepam injection had allowed her to go home. Later that day, the thyroid function test results became available, and her symptoms and the results strongly indicated a thyroid storm. The endocrinology department was consulted immediately, and she was referred for hospitalization the next day. During hospitalization, she was treated with steroid and radioactive iodine therapy and was discharged from hospital in 3 weeks.
CONCLUSION
Psychiatrists and doctors engaged in psychosomatic medicine need to consider the possibility of severe hyperthyroidism as a differential diagnosis of panic disorder.
PubMed: 34044861
DOI: 10.1186/s13030-021-00211-4 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023Individuals with panic disorder frequently face ongoing symptoms, suboptimal treatment adherence, and increased relapse rates. Although mobile health interventions have...
BACKGROUND
Individuals with panic disorder frequently face ongoing symptoms, suboptimal treatment adherence, and increased relapse rates. Although mobile health interventions have shown promise in improving treatment outcomes for numerous mental health conditions, their effectiveness, specifically for panic disorder, has yet to be determined.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the effects of a mobile-aided case management program on symptom reduction and quality of care among individuals with panic disorder.
METHODS
This 3-year cohort study enrolled 138 participants diagnosed with panic disorder. One hundred and eight participants joined the mobile-aided case management group and 30 in the treatment-as-usual group. Data were collected at baseline, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month treatment checkpoints using self-report questionnaires, in-depth interviews, direct observation, and medical record analysis.
RESULTS
During the maintenance treatment phase, the mobile-assisted case management group decreased both panic severity ( = 0.008) and state anxiety ( = 0.016) more than the control group at 6 months. Participants who underwent case management experienced enhanced control over panic symptoms, heightened self-awareness, and elevated interpersonal support.
CONCLUSION
The mobile-aided case management is beneficial in managing panic disorder, especially maintenance treatment.
PubMed: 37928915
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1203194 -
PloS One 2018The catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic disorder (PD) predicts that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations and external events in panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, and healthy subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic disorder (PD) predicts that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of PD. Existing research on this prediction has produced mixed findings. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the strength of catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations and external events in patients with PD, patients with other anxiety disorders, and healthy controls. Following a systematic screening, seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. For the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations, analyses showed medium to large effects between patients with PD and healthy controls and between patients with PD and patients with other anxiety disorders. For the catastrophic misinterpretation of external events, analyses showed medium to large effects between patients with PD and healthy controls and a small negative effect between patients with PD and patients with other anxiety disorders. The findings support the assumption that the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations is a distinctive characteristic of panic disorder and thus lend support to the catastrophic misinterpretation model of PD.
Topics: Agoraphobia; Anxiety Disorders; Arousal; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Models, Psychological; Panic Disorder; Sensation
PubMed: 29558505
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194493 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Jul 2021Panic disorder (PD) is thought to be related with deficits in emotion regulation, especially in cognitive reappraisal. According to the cognitive model, PD patients'...
BACKGROUND
Panic disorder (PD) is thought to be related with deficits in emotion regulation, especially in cognitive reappraisal. According to the cognitive model, PD patients' intrinsic and unconscious misappraisal strategies are the cause of panic attacks. However, no studies have yet been performed to explore the underlying neuromechanism of cognitive reappraisal that occur on an unconscious level in PD patients.
METHODS
Twenty-six patients with PD and 25 healthy controls (HC) performed a fully-verified event-block design emotional regulation task aimed at investigating responses of implicit cognitive reappraisal during an fMRI scan. Participants passively viewed negatively valanced pictures that were beforehand neutrally, positively, or adversely portrayed in the task.
RESULTS
Whole-brain analysis of fMRI data showed that PD patients exhibited less activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) compared to HC, but presented greater activation in parietal cortex when negative pictures were preceded by positive/neutral vs negative descriptions. Simultaneously, interactive effects of Group × Condition were observed in the right amygdala across both groups. Furthermore, activation in dlPFC and dmPFC was is negatively correlated to severity of anxiety and panic in PD when negative images were preceded by non-negative vs negative descriptions.
CONCLUSIONS
Emotional dysregulation in PD is likely the result of deficient activation in dlPFC and dmPFC during implicit cognitive reappraisal, in line with impaired automatic top-down regulation. Correlations between severity of anxiety and panic attack and activation of right dlPFC and dmPFC suggest that the failure to engage prefrontal region during implicit cognitive reappraisal might be associated wtih the severity of anxiety and panic; such functional patterns might be the target of possible treatments.
Topics: Brain Mapping; Cognition; Emotions; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Panic Disorder
PubMed: 34256777
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02968-2 -
Trials Aug 2023Due to several treatment barriers, many individuals with panic disorder do not receive evidence-based treatment. One promising option to narrow this treatment gap is...
Efficacy of an Internet-based intervention with self-applied exposure therapy in virtual reality for people with panic disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Due to several treatment barriers, many individuals with panic disorder do not receive evidence-based treatment. One promising option to narrow this treatment gap is Internet-based psychotherapy, which has been shown particularly effective in guided formats. Still, there remains room for improvement to make these digital therapies more accessible, cost-efficient, and aligned with best practices for in-person interventions (e.g., exposure). The smartphone app "Invirto - Treatment for Anxiety" offers digitally guided, evidence-based treatment of panic disorders including virtual reality (VR) for exposure therapy. The aim present study is to investigate the efficacy, safety, and acceptance of Invirto in comparison to a care-as-usual (CAU) control group.
METHODS
We plan to conduct a randomized controlled trial with two conditions (intervention vs. CAU), three assessment times via online surveys (t0: baseline; t1: 3 months after baseline; t2: follow-up assessment 6 months after baseline), and a total of 128 participants with a clinical diagnosis of panic disorder (symptoms must be experienced ≥ 1 year). Recruitment will take place via email, phone, and the study website. The primary outcome will be the change in anxiety symptoms as measured by Beck's Anxiety Inventory from t0 to t1. Secondary outcomes will be the change in anxiety symptoms (measured by the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale, PAS; Questionnaire on panic-related Anxieties, Cognitions and Avoidance, ACA), depressive symptoms (measured by the Beck-Depression-Inventory, BDI-II), treatment satisfaction (measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, CSQ-8; Treatment Adherence Perception Questionnaire, TAPQ-adapt; Positive and Negative Effects of Psychotherapy Scale, PANEPS-I), psychological flexibility (measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, AAQ-II), and dissociation during VR exposure (measured by an adapted version of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire, PDEQ-adapt). Participants in the intervention group will receive access to the intervention (Invirto) right after t0, while the CAU group will receive access to Invirto after t1. We expect a larger change in both the primary and secondary outcomes from t0 to t1 in the intervention group in comparison to the CAU group.
DISCUSSION
This study is one of the first to evaluate an Internet-based intervention for people with panic disorder that includes self-application of VR exposure therapy. The findings are expected to extend the body of knowledge about effective Internet-based treatment options for people with panic disorder. The empirical and clinical implications and the limitations of the study are discussed.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
DRKS00027585 ( www.drks.de/drks_web/ ), date of registration: 13 January 2022.
Topics: Humans; Panic Disorder; Internet-Based Intervention; Implosive Therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Anxiety Disorders; Treatment Outcome; Internet; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37573377
DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07536-1 -
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria (Sao... Aug 2020
Topics: Biological Psychiatry; Humans; Panic Disorder
PubMed: 32638918
DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1076 -
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders Jan 2021Anxiety is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Due to their severity and chronic course, anxiety disorders, particularly...
Epidemiology and prognostic implications of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in patients with coronary artery disease: rationale and design for a longitudinal cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Due to their severity and chronic course, anxiety disorders, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD), are of considerable interest and clinical importance in this population. This study has two main objectives: (1) to estimate the prevalence and incidence of GAD and PD in patients with CAD over a 2-year period and (2) to prospectively assess the association between PD or GAD and adverse cardiac events, treatment adherence, CAD-related health behaviors, quality of life and psychological distress.
DESIGN/METHOD
This is a longitudinal cohort study in which 3610 participants will be recruited following a CAD-related revascularization procedure. They will complete an interview and questionnaires at 5 time points over a 2-year period (baseline and follow-ups after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months). The presence of PD or GAD, adherence to recommended treatments, health behaviors, quality of life and psychological distress will be assessed at each time point. Data regarding mortality and adverse cardiac events will be collected with a combination of interviews and review of medical files.
DISCUSSION
This study will provide essential information on the prevalence and incidence of anxiety disorders in patients with CAD and on the consequences of these comorbidities. Such data is necessary in order to develop clear clinical recommendations for the management of PD and GAD in patients with CAD. This will help improve the prognosis of patients suffering from both conditions.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Coronary Artery Disease; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Incidence; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Health; Panic Disorder; Patient Compliance; Prevalence; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Psychological Distress; Quality of Life; Quebec; Research Design; Time Factors
PubMed: 33435888
DOI: 10.1186/s12872-021-01848-3 -
JAMA Psychiatry Apr 2023We know little about the transmission of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across generations.
IMPORTANCE
We know little about the transmission of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across generations.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the sources of parent-offspring transmission of OCD and familial cross-generational association with more typical anxiety disorders.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This Swedish population register-based study analyzed data for offspring born in Sweden from 1960 to 1995 from the following 4 family types: intact, not-lived-with biological father, lived-with stepfather, and adoptive. Follow-up occurred on December 31, 2018, and data were analyzed from April 6, 2022, to September 26, 2022.
EXPOSURES
Three sources of parent-offspring resemblance: genes plus rearing, genes only, and rearing only.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Diagnoses of OCD, all anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia, and panic disorder were obtained from national inpatient, outpatient, and primary care medical registers. Parent-child resemblance was assessed by tetrachoric correlation (r).
RESULTS
The offspring population consisted of 2 413 128 individuals; mean (SD) age at follow-up was 40.2 (10.7) years, 1 258 670 individuals (52.2%) were male, and 1 154 458 individuals (47.8%) were female. For each type of parent-child relationship, the best-estimate correlation for OCD for genes plus rearing was 0.19 (95% CI, 0.17 to 0.20); genes only, 0.18 (95% CI, 0.11 to 0.24); and rearing only, 0.04 (95% CI, -0.10 to 0.19). From bivariate adoption analyses, the cross-generational genetic correlations between OCD with anxiety disorder diagnostic categories were estimated as follows: for all anxiety disorders, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.77); GAD, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.53 to 1.00); social phobia, 0.70 (95% CI, 0.31 to 1.00); and panic disorder, 0.47 (95% CI, 0.20 to 0.73).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This Swedish population register-based study found that OCD was transmitted from parents to children largely through a genetic relationship, with rearing playing a minor role. Viewed cross-generationally, OCD and anxiety disorders were moderately genetically correlated, with the genetic correlations strongest between OCD and GAD, intermediate for OCD and social phobia, and weakest between OCD and panic disorder. These genetic correlations were modestly attenuated when diagnostic hierarchies were imposed before analysis.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Sweden; Anxiety Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Parents; Panic Disorder
PubMed: 36723936
DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4777 -
Psychological Medicine Feb 2020The hippocampus plays an important role in psychopathology and treatment outcome. While posterior hippocampus (PH) may be crucial for the learning process that... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
The hippocampus plays an important role in psychopathology and treatment outcome. While posterior hippocampus (PH) may be crucial for the learning process that exposure-based treatments require, affect-focused treatments might preferentially engage anterior hippocampus (AH). Previous studies have distinguished the different functions of these hippocampal sub-regions in memory, learning, and emotional processes, but not in treatment outcome. Examining two independent clinical trials, we hypothesized that anterior hippocampal volume would predict outcome of affect-focused treatment outcome [Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT); Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PFPP)], whereas posterior hippocampal volume would predict exposure-based treatment outcome [Prolonged Exposure (PE); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Applied Relaxation Training (ART)].
METHODS
Thirty-five patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 24 with panic disorder (PD) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before randomization to affect-focused (IPT for PTSD; PFPP for PD) or exposure-based treatments (PE for PTSD; CBT or ART for PD). AH and PH volume were regressed with clinical outcome changes.
RESULTS
Baseline whole hippocampal volume did not predict post-treatment clinical severity scores in any treatment. For affect-focused treatments, but not exposure-based treatments, anterior hippocampal volume predicted clinical improvement. Smaller AH correlated with greater affect-focused treatment improvement. Posterior hippocampal volume did not predict treatment outcome.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to explore associations between hippocampal volume sub-regions and treatment outcome in PTSD and PD. Convergent results suggest that affect-focused treatment may influence the clinical outcome through the 'limbic' AH, whereas exposure-based treatments do not. These preliminary, theory-congruent, therapeutic findings require replication in a larger clinical trial.
Topics: Adult; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Linear Models; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Organ Size; Panic Disorder; Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic; Relaxation Therapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30773148
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291719000187