title: Subjective and neurovegetative changes in healthy volunteers and panic patients performing simulated public speaking.
abstract: Drug-free symptomatic panic patients, drug-treated nonsymptomatic patients and healthy controls were submitted to simulated public speaking. Subjective anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort measured by the visual analog mood scale as well as skin conductance level were higher in symptomatic patients than in controls at the beginning of the experimental session, nonsymptomatic patients lying in between. Subjective sedation, spontaneous fluctuations of skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure were similar in the three groups. Preparation and performance of speech decreased sedation while increasing anxiety, cognitive impairment, level and fluctuations of skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure. Anxiety, cognitive impairment and conductance level were less increased in symptomatic patients than in controls. Electrodermal activity, but not cardiovascular measures of sympathetic arousal correlated with anticipatory anxiety. Chronic treatment with serotonin uptake inhibitors attenuated the differences between panic patients and controls, supporting the participation of serotonin in panic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, FMRP-USP, Av. 9 de Julho 980, 14025-000, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre C B V
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Cybele
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia-Leal
authors.forename: Cristina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Del-Ben
authors.forename: Francisco S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Frederico G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Graeff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors