title: Alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity in populations at high risk for panic disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Populations at high risk for panic disorder (PD) probably share with subjects with PD an underlying vulnerability involving features like anxiety sensitivity (AS) and alexithymia. The present study would verify if PD relatives (R) and subjects who have experienced 1 or more panic attacks (PAs) show different levels of AS and alexithymia with respect to healthy controls (HC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty-seven HCs, 30 subjects with PA, 64 R subjects, and 139 outpatients with PD were evaluated and compared on AS, alexithymia, and control variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with PD show higher alexithymia and AS levels compared with HCs; R subjects do not differ on ASI total score; and R females show more alexithymic features. Subjects with PA are comparable with HCs both on AS and alexithymia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results confirm an impairment in emotional and bodily sensations information processing in subjects with PD but partially disconfirm the expectation of a difference between R subjects and subjects with PA with respect to HCs on AS and alexithymia. Emotional and bodily sensation competencies could be protective factors for PD in high-risk populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University, Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. cucchi.michele@hsr.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucchi
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cavadini
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bottelli
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riccia
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conca
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ronchi
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smeraldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D012306:Risk; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires