title: Carbon dioxide inhalation induces dose-dependent and age-related negative affectivity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carbon dioxide inhalation is known to induce an emotion similar to spontaneous panic in Panic Disorder patients. The affective response to carbon dioxide in healthy subjects was not clearly characterized yet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four healthy subjects underwent a double inhalation of four mixtures containing respectively 0, 9, 17.5 and 35% CO(2) in compressed air, following a double blind, cross-over, randomized design. Affective responses were assessed according to DSM IV criteria for panic, using an Electronic Visual Analogue Scale and the Panic Symptom List. It was demonstrated that carbon dioxide challenges induced a dose dependent negative affect (p<0.0001). This affect was semantically identical to the DSM IV definition of panic. Older individuals were subjectively less sensitive to Carbon Dioxide (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CO(2) induced affectivity may lay on a continuum with pathological panic attacks. Consistent with earlier suggestions that panic is a false biological alarm, the affective response to CO(2) may be part of a protective system triggered by suffocation and acute metabolic distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Eric.Griez@pn.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Griez
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colasanti
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Diest
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salamon
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schruers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000388:Air; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide