Binge eating disorder and depression: a systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic literature review is to examine previous studies that investigated the relation between depression and binge eating disorder (BED). Medline/PubMed published data from 1980 through 2006 was tracked using the following keywords: "binge eating disorder and depression", "periodic binge eating and depression", "binge eating disorder" and "periodic binge eating". The findings of 14 studies were successfully highlighted: one cohort, four cross-sectional and nine case-control studies.

Neuroimaging in social anxiety disorder: a systematic review of the literature.

Brain imaging techniques allow the in vivo evaluation of the human brain, leading to a better understanding of its anatomical, functional and metabolic substrate. The aim of this current report is to present a systematic and critical review of neuroimaging findings in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). A literature review was performed in the PubMed Medline, Scielo and Web of Science databases using the following keywords: 'MRI', 'functional', 'tomography', 'PET', 'SPECT', 'spectroscopy', 'relaxometry', 'tractography' and 'voxel' crossed one by one with the terms 'social anxiety' and 'social phobic', with no limit of time.

Current findings of fMRI in panic disorder: contributions for the fear neurocircuitry and CBT effects.

Thanks to brain imaging great advances have been made concerning the comprehension of neural substrates related to panic disorder (PD). This article aims to: review the recent functional MRI (fMRI) studies concerning PD; correlate the PD fMRI neurobiological findings with the fear neurocircuitry hypothesis; discuss the fear neurocircuitry hypothesis and link it to cognitive-behavior therapy findings; and comment on fMRI study limitations and suggest methodological changes for future research. As a whole, there is increasing evidence that brain structures such as the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex and limbic areas (hippocampus and amygdala) might play a major role in the panic response.

Anxiogenic properties of a computer simulation for panic disorder with agoraphobia.

Background: There are several useful methods to induce anxiety in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). Our aim was to ascertain if a computer simulation (CS) could induce anxiety and physiologic alterations in PDA patients.

Methods: 10 healthy controls (HC) and 10 patients who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for PDA were recruited for this study.

Double-blind comparison of 30 and 60 mg tranylcypromine daily in patients with panic disorder comorbid with social anxiety disorder.

Our objective was to explore the dose-response relationship in patients with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder comorbidity (DSM-IV). After 1 week of no-drug washout, 36 such patients were assigned to a double-blind controlled comparison of the effects of 30 mg and 60 mg of tranylcypromine, and were followed up for 12 weeks. The main instrument used to measure the number of panic attacks was the Sheehan Panic and Anticipatory Anxiety Scale.

Social anxiety disorder women easily recognize fearfull, sad and happy faces: the influence of gender.

Background: It has been suggested that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are exaggeratedly concerned about approval and disapproval by others. Therefore, we assessed the recognition of facial expressions by individuals with SAD, in an attempt to overcome the limitations of previous studies.

Methods: The sample was formed by 231 individuals (78 SAD patients and 153 healthy controls).

Carbon dioxide-induced panic attacks and quantitative electroencephalogram in panic disorder patients.

The objective of the study was to investigate and compare the brain cortical activity, as indexed by quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) power, coherence and asymmetry measures, in panic disorder (PD) patients during an induced panic attack with a 35% CO(2) challenge test and also in a resting condition. Fifteen subjects with PD were randomly assigned to both 35% CO(2) mixture and atmospheric compressed air, in a double-blind study design, with EEG being recorded for a 20-min period. During induced panic attacks we found a reduced right-sided frontal orbital asymmetry in the beta band, a decreased occipital frontal intra-hemispheric coherence in the delta band at both right and left sides, a left-sided occipital delta inter-hemispheric asymmetry and an increased relative power in the beta wave at T4.

Synthesis and characterisation of NS13558: a new important tool for addressing KCa1.1 channel function ex vivo.

Pharmacological activation of the large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (KCa1.1) in the cardiac inner mitochondrial membrane has been found to protect the heart against ischemia reperfusion injuries. However, there are concerns about the selectivity of the pharmacological tools used to modulate the channel.

The fear circuitry in panic disorder and its modulation by cognitive-behaviour therapy interventions.

Panic disorder (PD) is a multidimensional anxiety disorder that involves the activation of a complex brain fear-network. The goals of this systematic review are to pinpoint some working functions of the most important neuroanatomical structures of fear and panic neurocircuitry and to raise hypotheses about how cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) may work on modulating the neurocircuitry of fear. The bibliographical search was carried out using mainly the PubMed database.

Panic disorder and social anxiety disorder subtypes in a caffeine challenge test.

Studies have demonstrated the vulnerability of anxiety disorder patients to challenge tests. Our aim was to observe if panic disorder (PD) patients and generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD) and performance social anxiety disorder (PSAD) patients respond in a similar way to the induction of anxiety symptoms and panic attacks by an oral caffeine challenge test. We compared 28 PD patients, 25 GSAD patients, 19 PSAD, and 26 control subjects after a 480-mg caffeine test.

Respiratory manifestations of panic disorder: causes, consequences and therapeutic implications.

Multiple respiratory abnormalities can be found in anxiety disorders, especially in panic disorder (PD). Individuals with PD experience unexpected panic attacks, characterized by anxiety and fear, resulting in a number of autonomic and respiratory symptoms. Respiratory stimulation is a common event during panic attacks.

Respiratory and non-respiratory panic disorder subtypes: clinical and quality of life comparisons.

Aim: to compare the scores of the WHOQOL quality of life domains with the clinical features of patients with respiratory and non-respiratory panic disorders (PD) treated at the UFRJ Panic and Respiration Laboratory.

Method: cross sectional study. Thirty-two PD outpatients under treatment were consecutively selected and evaluated by the MINI v.

Freezing reaction in panic disorder patients associated with anticipatory anxiety.

Background: Anticipatory anxiety can be described as a conditioned response with a defensive posture of freezing and autonomic activation. The purpose of this study was to assess the postural control analysis and autonomic activation in panic disorder (PD) patients presented with visual stimuli.

Methods: PD patients (n=29) and healthy controls (n=27) stood on a force platform while viewing a series of anxiogenic, mutilation, and neutral pictures.

[Are panic attacks really harmless? The cardiovascular impact of panic disorder].

Objective: Psychosocial stress and depression have already been established as risk factors for developing and worsening cardiovascular diseases. Anxiety disorders are been strongly associated to cardiac problems nowadays. Panic disorder in cardiac patients represents a challenge for diagnose and treatment.

Use of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) in a cardiac emergency room: chest pain unit.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients complaining of chest pain who seek a chest pain unit attendance.

Introduction: Patients arriving at a Chest Pain Unit may present psychiatric disorders not identified, isolated or co-morbid to the main illness, which may interfere in the patient prognosis.

Methodology: Patients were assessed by the 'Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale' as a screening instrument wile following a systematized protocol to rule out the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and other potentially fatal diseases.

Nocturnal panic attacks: clinical features and respiratory connections.

The clinical and therapeutic aspects of nocturnal panic attacks (NPAs) remain poorly understood. Some authors present NPAs as a more severe and less cognitive form of panic disorder (PD), whereas others treat it as a different manifestation of conventional panic attack. Overall, few articles address NPA relative to the large amount of literature regarding PD.