The efficacy of breathing retraining and the centrality of hyperventilation in panic disorder: A reinterpretation of experimental findings

Abstract

The present paper addresses de Ruiter, Rijken, Garssen, and Kraaimaat's ( Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 647–655, 1989) interpretation of data pertaining to the efficacy of breathing retraining in the treatment of panic disorder. The proffered reinterpretation of these data makes it clear that breathing retraining led to a significant reduction in the frequency of panic attacks. These findings thus lend additional support to the central role of hyperventilation in primary panic attacks.