title: The psychoimmunological association of panic disorder and allergic reaction.
abstract: During treatment of out-patients suffering from DSM-III R panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia, our attention was drawn to a high frequency of comorbid allergic reactions. In a controlled study, the prevalence of immediate type I reactions was determined in panic patients. Conversely, the prevalence of psychological disorders was recorded among allergic patients. Altogether, 79 out-patients with PD, 100 type I allergic out-patients and 66 controls underwent structured clinical interviews and tests for allergies. Of the patients suffering from PD, 70 per cent displayed type I immediate reactions (controls = 29 per cent). Vasodilatation (often approaching circulation collapse) is a frequently occurring allergic syndrome which is a very dramatic experience. Fifty per cent of the allergic patients showed mild to severe psychological disturbances (controls = 25 per cent); and 16 per cent had problems requiring treatment (controls = 9 per cent). Ten per cent of the allergic patients revealed PD (controls = 2 per cent). The association between PD and allergic (vasomotor) reactions was found to be highly significant. A functional relationship is hypothesized in terms of conditioning cognitive and vasomotor interactions during autonomic arousal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, University of Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Traub
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bamler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology