Do anxiety patients with or without frequent panic attacks differ in their respnse to stress?

Abstract

To evaluate different responses in norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), heart rate (HR), electrodermal activity (EDA) and subjective ratings to a 'neutral' and a 'patient-specific' stressor we compared nine anxiety patients with three or more panic attacks during the past week, 10 patients with no panic attacks during the past week and 10 controls, at baseline as well as during two stressors: a videotape containing horror scenes and a tape showing a patient having a panic attack. Both patient groups exhibited higher base levels of panicky feelings, anxiety, nervousness, NE and EDA. The panic attack tape proved a stressor that induced significantly more pronounced increases in subjective bodily symptoms, NE, E and EDA in the patients with three or more panic attacks. Our data suggest that patients with frequent panic attacks show higher reactivity to a stimulus that recalls previous experiences of panic attacks.

Adrenergic status in anxiety disorders: Platelet alpha2-adrenergic receptor binding, blood pressure, pulse, and plasma catecholamines in panic and generalized anxiety disorders patients and in normal subjects

“…However, it is not clear what differences in situations and/or patients led to some reports of normal levels and other reports of elevations; perhaps surprisingly, plasma catecholandne and MHPG levels do not appear to be significantly increased during unexpected (Cameron et al 1987b), lactate-induced (Liebowitz et al 1985;Carr et al 1986), or caffeiae-iMuced (Chamey et al 1985) anxiety and panic attacks. It is possible that patients are more reactive to stressful circumstances than are normal subjects, and that adret~ergically mediated physiological variables show excessive increases in anxious patients in those circumstances, but are normal under minimally stressful situations such as those in the present study (Albus et al 1987(Albus et al , 1988; see also Cameron and Nesse 1988).…”

Physiological Response and Childhood Anxiety: Association With Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders and Cognitive Bias

“…Research suggests that the normal HR and skin conductance response to a potentially threatening situation is initially characterized by a decrease (e.g., HR shows deceleration) followed by an increase depending on the actual threat value (i.e., intense threat does produce an increase in autonomic arousal as part of the fight-or-flight response; see Barlow, 2002). However, research has shown that adults with anxiety disorders are more likely than controls to have elevated baseline arousal and display a more pronounced response (e.g., heart rate remains elevated after the stimulus is removed) to stressors (Albus, Braune, Hoehn, & Scheibe, 1988;Cole, Zahn-Waxler, Fox, Usher, & Welsh, 1996;Harrison & Turpin, 2003;Lee & Olness, 1996;Tremayne & Barry, 1990;Zahn, Nurnberger, Berrettini, & Robinson, 1991).…”

Experimental Modification of Interpretation Bias about Animal Fear in Young Children: Effects on Cognition, Avoidance Behavior, Anxiety Vulnerability, and Physiological Responding

“…In response to a potentially threatening and stress-evoking situation, normal heart rate response is characterized by an initial decrease followed by an increase depending upon the perceived threat value of the situation (Barlow, 2002). However, research has shown that individuals with anxiety disorders compared to controls have elevated baseline heart rate arousal and display a more pronounced and sustained response to stressors (Albus, Braune, Hö hn, & Scheibe, 1988;Cole, Zahn-Waxler, Fox, Usher, & Welsh, 1996;Harrison & Turpin, 2003;Lee & Olness, 1996;Zahn, Nurnberger, Berrettini, & Robinson, 1991).…”