Electroencephalographic study of nighttime panic attacks.
A woman whose condition was diagnosed as agoraphobia with panic attacks participated in an all-night polysomnographic study. During the night she experienced a panic attack that was phenomenologically similar to her daytime attacks. The attack occurred suddenly, arising from stage 3-4 (delta) sleep. There was no disruption of sleep architecture immediately before awakening. The occurrence of this panic attack during sleep is discussed in the context of other nighttime sleep disorders.
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000503:physiopathology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010200:Panic; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology