Review, 2004
Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder?
PMDD and panic disorder both trigger panic in lab tests, but scientists haven't identified the connection. This doesn't prove PMDD is a type of panic disorder.
What they did
Reviewed findings from laboratory challenge studies in PMDD patients and theories connecting PMDD to panic disorder.
What they found
Agents that trigger panic in people with panic disorder also trigger panic in women with PMDD. Scientists tested several biological theories including suffocation false alarm, GABA, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholecystokinin, but none yet fully explained the shared panic response. Psychological approaches like conditioning, catastrophic misinterpretation, and anxiety sensitivity haven't been applied to PMDD patients yet.
What it means for you
PMDD and panic disorder appear to share something but researchers don't yet know what. The search for the cause might benefit from studying how women with PMDD interpret body sensations, not just their hormones. This is a review of existing research, not a study of new patients.
About the study
- Original title
- Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder? A review
- Authors
- Vickers K, McNally RJ
- Journal
- Clinical psychology review
- Year
- 2004
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- None (review)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.08.001
Topics
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