Amital D, Fostick L, Sasson Y, Kindler S, Amital H, Zohar J.

Department of Psychiatry, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.

BACKGROUND: Several lines of evidence point to serotonergic abnormalities in patients with panic disorder (PD). Our goal was to further examine central serotonergic function in panic patients using autonomic and subjective responses to the postsynaptic serotonin 5-HT1D receptor agonist Sumatriptan. METHOD: Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design, we assessed autonomic and subjective responses to oral Sumatriptan (100 mg) and placebo in 15 patients with PD, free of medication. Subjective responses were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), National Institute of Mental Health Anxiety Scale (NIMHA), a modified version of the Panic Symptom Inventory (PI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). RESULTS: PD patients exhibited significantly enhanced autonomic and subjective responses following challenge with Sumatriptan. We observed an increased pulse rate and augmentation of various parameters measured on different anxiety scales. A constant inclination of aggravation of the measured parameters was detected during the hour post challenge. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of Sumatriptan, a 5-HT1D agonist, has been associated with an anxiogenic effect in PD patients.

Bulbena A, Pailhez G, Aceña R, Cunillera J, Rius A, Garcia-Ribera C, Gutiérrez J, Rojo C.

Department of Psychiatry, Institut d’Atenció Psiquiàtrica: Salut Mental i Toxicomanies, IMAS, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Passeig Maritim 29, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. abulbena@acmcb.es

The relationship between weather conditions and psychiatric disorders has been a continuous subject of speculation due to contradictory findings. This study attempts to further clarify this relationship by focussing on specific conditions such as panic attacks and non-panic anxiety in relation to specific meteorological variables. All psychiatric emergencies attended at a general hospital in Barcelona (Spain) during 2002 with anxiety as main complaint were classified as panic or non-panic anxiety according to strict independent and retrospective criteria. Both groups were assessed and compared with meteorological data (wind speed and direction, daily rainfall, temperature, humidity and solar radiation). Seasons and weekend days were also included as independent variables. Non-parametric statistics were used throughout since most variables do not follow a normal distribution. Logistic regression models were applied to predict days with and without the clinical condition. Episodes of panic were three times more common with the poniente wind (hot wind), twice less often with rainfall, and one and a half times more common in autumn than in other seasons. These three trends (hot wind, rainfall and autumn) were accumulative for panic episodes in a logistic regression formula. Significant reduction of episodes on weekends was found only for non-panic episodes. Panic attacks, unlike other anxiety episodes, in a psychiatric emergency department in Barcelona seem to show significant meteorotropism. Assessing specific disorders instead of overall emergencies or other variables of a more general quality could shed new light on the relationship between weather conditions and behaviour.

Witgert ME, Wheless JW, Breier JI.

Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA. mcwitger@mail.uh.edu

This study investigates the frequency of symptoms of panic attack in a sample of adults (n = 18) and adolescents (n = 21) who were evaluated for intractable seizure disorder and diagnosed with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for symptoms associated with their typical seizure events as documented by the attending epileptologist. Adolescents, as a group, reported significantly more symptoms of panic attack than adults. Three adolescents met the full criteria for a panic attack, while no adults met these criteria. In addition, while numerous adults endorsed no panic symptoms associated with their PNES episodes, all adolescents endorsed at least one symptom. Implications of results are discussed in terms of the diagnosis and treatment of PNES in the different age groups.