INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY ON BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSE TO CHOLECYSTOKININ-TETRAPEPTIDE IN PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER

The relationship between personality, as measured by selected clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) (Hyp ochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Psychasthenia, Social Introversion , and Anxiety) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), and behavioral response to the panicogenic agent cholecystokinin-tetrapeptide (CCK-4 ) was examined in 29 patients with panic disorder with or without agor aphobia. Significant correlations were found between the MMPI Social I ntroversion scale and somatic, cognitive, and affective response to CC K-4. Both the MMPI Anxiety scale and the ASI correlated significantly with cognitive response to CCK-4, but not with somatic or affective re sponse. None of the other selected MMPI clinical scales correlated wit h response to CCK-4. Multiple regression analyses identified the MMPI Social Introversion scale as the best predictor of all three indices o f panic-anxiety induced by CCK-4. The results suggest that the relatio nship between neurotic introversion and sensitivity to CCK requires cl oser scrutiny.