Diurnal panic attacks with and without nocturnal panic attacks: are there some phenomenological differences?
OBJECTIVE
To compare nocturnal and diurnal panic attacks in a cross-sectional study and in a longitudinal prospective short-term follow-up.


METHODS
We selected 57 panic disorder (PD) subjects (DSM-IV) and rated them with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) at baseline and after 30 days of treatment with nortriptyline, and with the Eysenck Personality Inventory and the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Scale at baseline.


RESULTS
The sample was divided into a nocturnal and diurnal panic attack (NDPA) group--57.9% (n = 33)--and a diurnal panic attack (DPA) group--42.1% (n = 24). The groups showed a similar mean age at onset of PD and a pattern of prominent respiratory symptoms. The PDSS did not differ between the groups following short-term treatment (p = 0.451). There were also neither significant differences in Neuroticism (p = 0.094) and Extroversion (p = 0.269) nor in the Brown ADD Scale (p = 0.527).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, patients with both nocturnal and diurnal panic attacks showed similar features in their phenomenology and short-term outcome when compared to pure diurnal panic attacks patients.
Lopes
Fabiana L
FL
Panic and Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. fllopes@predialnet.com.br
Nardi
Antonio E
AE
Nascimento
Isabella
I
Valença
Alexandre M
AM
Mezzasalma
Marco A
MA
Freire
Rafael C
RC
Zin
Walter A
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D009661:Nortriptyline