Respiratory feedback for treating panic disorder.
Panic disorder patients often complain of shortness of breath or other respiratory complaints, which has been used as evidence for both hyperventilation and false suffocation alarm theories of panic. Training patients to change their breathing patterns is a common intervention, but breathing rarely has been measured objectively in assessing the patient or monitoring therapy results. We report a new breathing training method that makes use of respiratory biofeedback to teach individuals to modify four respiratory characteristics: increased ventilation (Respiratory Rate x Tidal Volume), breath-to-breath irregularity in rate and depth, and chest breathing. As illustrated by a composite case, feedback of respiratory rate and end-tidal pCO2 can facilitate voluntary control of respiration and reduce symptoms. Respiratory monitoring may provide relevant diagnostic, prognostic, and outcome information.
Meuret
Alicia E
AE
Stanford University and the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA. ameuret@bu.edu
Wilhelm
Frank H
FH
Roth
Walton T
WT
D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012119:Respiration; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D013637:Tape Recording; D013990:Tidal Volume