Cognitive functions and the state of nonspecific brain systems in panic disorders

Abstract

A total of 93 patients with panic disorders and 36 healthy control subjects were studied. Clinical-neurological, psychometric, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological (auditory cognitive evoked potentials) investigations were performed. Patients with typical panic disorders were characterized by increased levels of anxiety and depression, along with impairments to cognitive functions in the form of decreases in short-term memory and attention, as compared with healthy subjects. Patients with atypical panic disorders differed from patients with typical panic disorders in having lower levels of anxiety, more severe depression, and more marked cognitive disorders. As compared with healthy subjects, patients with atypical panic disorders showed reductions in the amplitude of the P300 evoked potential wave, while patients with typical panic disorders showed increases. It is suggested that changes in the amplitude parameters of the P300 wave are associated with dysfunction of the limbic-reticular structures of the brain in patients with panic disorders.

Cognitive functions in patients with panic disorder: a literature review

“…5 In another study, patients with PD (n=93) were compared with healthy controls (n=36) and showed decreases in selectivity, switching of attention and lower work capacity and stability of attention. 14 The third article's results were contradictory to those of the previous two, because the patients evaluated showed no differences in selective attention tasks, although differences were found in divided attention tasks. The authors compared patients with PD with (n=16) and without agoraphobia (n=5), patients with PD and major depressive disorder (MDD) (n=21), and a control group (n=20).…”

“…7,8,[10][11][12] Of the three articles in which differences were found, two reported differences in selective attention. 5,14 In one article, patients with PD (n=24) showed more difficulty in completing a task that required visual attention as compared with a control group (n=24). According to the authors, this result demonstrates the difficulty in selecting relevant stimuli and is related to symptoms of the disorder, in which patients find it difficult to perceive their surroundings because their attention is focused on bodily sensations and concerns.…”

P300 as an auxiliary method in clinical practice: A review of literature

“…Some studies indicated changes in P300 characteristics in patients with Parkinson's disease (the changes correlated with the degree of the disease determined according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale), growth hormone deficiency, Huntington's disease, Tourette syndrome, and narcolepsy (2,9,(24)(25)(26)(27). Changes of P300 characteristics, lowered amplitude, and extended latency have also been noticed in schizophrenia (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36), post-traumatic stress disorder (36,37,40), endogenous psychoses (38)(39)(40)(41), panic disorder (42)(43)(44)(45), and depressive patients (46,47). Additionally, a few papers described changes of P300 in impulsive aggressive criminals and obsessive-compulsive disorder (48,49).…”

Erratum to: Trends in Psychological/Psychiatric Injury and Law: Continuing Education, Practice Comments, Recommendations

“… see the section by Nicholson and Martelli) have reviewed research showing that the cognitive effects of factors such as these can exacerbate and serve to maintain cognitive effects from events at claim in cases of mild TBI even after the timeline for the dissipation of pathophysiological effects involved in the TBI. Recent research on the cognitive effects of depression, anxiety, and pain include, respectively, McClintock et al (2010), Gordeev (2008), and Ji et al (2010). Schultz (2010) analyzed the proposed changes to the DSM-V related to TBI, as described by the working group involved, and found multiple difficulties.…”