title: Cognitive bias in panic disorder patients and changes after cognitive-behavioral treatments.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate cognitive biases in panic disorder patients via a questionnaire originally developed by Clark and co-workers [Clark, Salkovskis, Gelder, Koehler, Martin, Anastasiades, Hackman, Middleton & Jeavons, (1988). In Hand, I. & Wittchen, H.-U. (Eds) Panic and Phobias 2] to assess interpretations of ambiguous internal (bodily sensations) and external events. The results showed that, compared to normal controls, panic disorder patients interpreted bodily sensations in a more threatening fashion, while there was no difference concerning external events. Cognitive-behavioral treatments normalized this bias, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Applied Relaxation were equally effective in this respect. Moreover, compared to panicking patients, panic-free patients had reduced their cognitive threat bias at post-treatment and follow-up to a significantly larger extent. The results support the cognitive theory of panic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Westling
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ost
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010555:Personality Inventory