title: Anxiety disorders in a neuromuscular clinic.
abstract: Twenty patients with myasthenia gravis and 15 patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis were assessed with a structured interview. Fifteen patients (43%) were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Significantly more myasthenic patients (40%) than polymyositis/dermatomyositis patients (7%) were diagnosed with panic disorder/agoraphobia. These findings suggest that the symptoms of myasthenia gravis may predispose vulnerable individuals to panic disorder/agoraphobia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Paradis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kula
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors