[Somatosensory evoked potentials in panic disorders].

Background: Panic disorders are at present the most intensely studied psychiatric entity calling for a multidisciplinary approach. After promising results following the use of evoked auditory potentials for the first time in panic disorders the somatosensory evoked potential was tested.

Methods And Results: Fifteen patients with panic disorders or agoraphobias or without the latter (12 women, 3 men, average age 33.7 +/- 9.3 years) were subjected during the interparoxysmal period to examination of the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) of the n. medianus, bilaterally. The control group was formed by 20 healthy subjects (12 women and 8 men), age 20-45 years, average age 34 +/- 8.5 years). An EMG apparatus Madaus Electronic 15 was used. The authors revealed significant changes of some parameters of SEP only in patients with panic disorders: bilateral shortening of the mean latency P17 (P < 0.01). Bilateral shortening of the mean conduction time N13-P17 and P14-P17 (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: The assembled findings are consistent with the pathophysiological concept of panic disorder at the brain stem level. The findings are confronted with changes of auditory evoked potentials and are consistent with contemporary views as regards pathomechanisms of panic disorders.