Abstract
BackgroundPanic disorder is one of the anxiety disorders, and anxiety is associated with some locomotor activity changes such as "restlessness". However, there have been few studies on locomotor activity in panic disorder using actigraphy, although many studies on other psychiatric disorders have been reported using actigraphy. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between panic disorder and locomotor activity pattern using a wrist-worn activity monitor. In addition, an ecological momentary assessment technique was used to record panic attacks in natural settings.MethodsSixteen patients with panic disorder were asked to wear a watch-type computer as an electronic diary for recording panic attacks for two weeks. In addition, locomotor activity was measured and recorded continuously in an accelerometer equipped in the watch-type computer. Locomotor activity data were analyzed using double cosinor analysis to calculate mesor and the amplitude and acrophase of each of the circadian rhythm and 12-hour harmonic component. Correlations between panic disorder symptoms and locomotor activity were investigated.ResultsThere were significant positive correlations between the frequency of panic attacks and mesor calculated from double cosinor analysis of locomotor activity (r = 0.55) and between HAM-A scores and mesor calculated from double cosinor analysis of locomotor activity (r = 0.62).ConclusionPanic disorder patients with more panic attacks and more anxiety have greater objectively assessed locomotor activity, which may reflect the "restlessness" of anxiety disorders.
Highlights
Panic disorder is one of the anxiety disorders, and anxiety is associated with some locomotor activity changes such as "restlessness"
The device for recording locomotor activity used in this previous study was attached to the lateral thigh, measured 4 × 8 × 12 cm and weighed 0.5 kg, and recorded physical activity categorized to eight levels
Patient characteristics (Table 1) All patients met criteria for panic disorder with agoraphobia according to DSM-IV criteria
Summary
Panic disorder is one of the anxiety disorders, and anxiety is associated with some locomotor activity changes such as "restlessness". There have been few studies on locomotor activity in panic disorder using actigraphy, many studies on other psychiatric disorders have been reported using actigraphy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between panic disorder and locomotor activity pattern using a wristworn activity monitor. Anxiety is associated with locomotor activity as described in some assessment tools for anxiety, such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [1] and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) [2], which includes items related to "restlessness". There has been only one group investigating locomotor activity that objectively assessed patients with panic disorder. The device would not be able to detect subtle changes in locomotor activity such as restlessness. In other psychiatric diseases, such as seasonal affective disorder, major depressive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, wrist-worn activity monitors have been used to investigate the locomotor activity pattern and have successfully detected changes in the locomotor activity pattern in these psychiatric diseases [4,5,6]
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