The cardiac anxiety syndrome--a subtype of panic attacks.
Cardiac anxiety syndrome and the diagnosis of cardiac neurosis respectively are characterized by panic attacks. Panic attacks are the core syndrome of a validated anxiety disorder (panic disorder). The purpose of this study was to investigate if the cardiac anxiety syndrome represents a separate disorder or if it is only a subtype of panic attacks. In a sample of 122 patients with panic attacks, all patients with a cardiac anxiety syndrome were selected (n = 31). Furthermore, parallel to this group--matched in the variables age and sex--a second group of patients with no cardiac anxiety syndrome was selected. There were no significant differences in course; in clinical phenomenology, patients with a cardiac anxiety syndrome were only distinguished by a greater intensity of somatization and phobic avoidance from patients with no cardiac anxiety syndrome. These results confirm the hypothesis that the cardiac anxiety syndrome is a subtype of panic attacks and does not represent a separate disorder.
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D009449:Neurocirculatory Asthenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010200:Panic; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales