Abstract
Inverse agonists of the GABA A receptor clearly decrease the amplitudes of the spontaneous EEG in the P-frequency range. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that panic patients exhibit a reduction of the EEGs spectral power in the P-frequency band. Ten unmedicated patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia according to DSM-III-R criteria and 10 matched controls were investigated under baseline conditions, after hyperventilation and 30 min after hyperventilation. EEG recordings from the position P z and C z were performed under eyes closed conditions. At baseline conditions the patients suffering from panic disorder depicted a reduced P-power reaching statistically significance for lead position P z. Immediately after hyperventilation for both channels we observed a decreased P-power. After hyperventilation we observed the same situation as under baseline conditions. Taken together, our results point to the view that in panic disorder an endogenous inverse agonist of the GABA A-benzodiazepine receptor could be hypothesized.
Published Version
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