title: Experiential, autonomic, and respiratory correlates of CO2 reactivity in individuals with high and low anxiety sensitivity.
abstract: Psychometric studies indicate that anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD). To better understand the psychophysiological basis of AS and its relation to clinical anxiety, we examined whether high-AS individuals show similarly elevated reactivity to inhalations of carbon dioxide (CO2) as previously reported for PD and social phobia in this task. Healthy individuals with high and low AS were exposed to eight standardized inhalations of 20% CO2-enriched air, preceded and followed by inhalations of room air. Anxiety and dyspnea, in addition to autonomic and respiratory responses were measured every 15 s. Throughout the task, high AS participants showed a respiratory pattern of faster, shallower breathing and reduced inhalation of CO2 indicative of anticipatory or contextual anxiety. In addition, they showed elevated dyspnea responses to the second set of air inhalations accompanied by elevated heart rate, which could be due to sensitization or conditioning. Respiratory abnormalities seem to be common to high AS individuals and PD patients when considering previous findings with this task. Similarly, sensitization or conditioning of anxious and dyspneic symptoms might be common to high AS and clinical anxiety. Respiratory conditionability deserves greater attention in anxiety disorder research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Health Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. Electronic address: jens.blechert@sbg.ac.at.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blechert
authors.forename: Frank H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Alicia E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Meuret
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Walton T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000503:physiopathology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012119:Respiration; D057566:Self Report; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Anxiety sensitivity; CO(2) reactivity; Classical conditioning; Heart rate; Panic disorder; Respiration; Tidal volume