CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY IN NONCLINICAL SUBJECTS WITH INFREQUENT PANIC ATTACKS

The present study examined the role of biological factors that may predispose to panic by investigating cardiovascular reactivity among nonclinical subjects who report having occasional panic attacks. Twenty-four student volunteers with a recent history of unexpected panic attacks were compared to 24 nonpanicking control subjects on measures of cardiovascular response to psychological stress and physical exercise. The results showed that subjects with and without panic attacks had similar resting heart rates and blood pressures, and comparable patterns of task-induced cardiovascular reactivity. These findings suggest that the heightened level of autonomic activation that is often observed in patients with panic disorder is not characteristic of nonclinical subjects who have infrequent panic attacks. Rather, it may arise as a consequence of the development of anticipatory anxiety and generalized apprehension, which does not necessarily occur among nonclinical subjects.